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Back in 2018, Australia got a treat: a 15-piece band of Jamaican and Cuban musicians, flown around the world as an unlikely supergroup.
It was the dream project of Jake Savona, a producer, arranger, keyboardist and DJ from Melbourne now living in Byron Bay: the live version of his cross-cultural fusion album, Mista Savona Presents Havana Meets Kingston.
Jake Savona with his Jamaican/Cuban supergroup, Havana Meets Kingston.Credit:Lara Merrington
And now he’s determined to do it again. Only this time, he wants to go all the way to Carnegie Hall.
The tour had been a rare and, ultimately, final chance to see some giants of Jamaican reggae live onstage. The following year, guitarist Winston “Bo-Pee” Bowen died of a heart attack. Then in December 2021 bassist Robbie Shakespeare (of legendary rhythm section Sly & Robbie) also passed away.
Savona says it was a tough project to make happen.
“It wasn’t easy and there were huge expenses,” he says. “We needed a thousand people at each venue just to cover costs and … we actually lost money (on the tour). But I don’t regret it for a second. It was so important to make that happen and a chance to see a once-in-a-lifetime, never-to-be-repeated show. Australia was the only country in the world that got to see the full line-up, so we were really lucky.”
Since 2004, Savona had been regularly travelling to Jamaica to record local musicians and vocalists for his solo albums. This resulted in collaborations with reggae and dance hall stars like Sizzla, Capleton, Horace Andy, (Massive Attack) Alton Ellis, Anthony B and Big Youth.
Then, while on holiday in Havana in 2014, he had a vision of blending Jamaica’s roots reggae and heavy bass with Cuba’s son, timba and jazzy salsa flare. Savona was surprised to discover that, despite their close proximity, a collaborative musical project between the two Caribbean islands had apparently never been tried.
Thanks to an Australia Council grant, he went back to Havana with Sly & Robbie, Bo-Pee and Jamaican percussionist Bongo Herman, playing with the city’s top musicians at EGREM studios, best-known for 1996’s Buena Vista Social Club album.