DESCRIPTION:
"Guemilere y Chenche kururu"- are part of a love suite dedicated to Chango and Ochun. Intended to remind us of the power of connection and the sweet things in life.

"Orisha Love Songs" is a contemporary salute to six orishas, (spiritual beings representing forces of nature) from the Yoruba tradition/religion termed Santeria, also known as Regla de Ocha or Regla Lucumí. Orisha worship was first brought to Cuba by Yoruba slaves in the nineteenth century. It was then combined with Catholic religious practices, and spread to other Latin-American countries and the United States via immigration. Our hometown, Philadelphia, has a vibrant Nigerian Yoruba community as well as a strong Lucumí community. As the African Diaspora continues, more and more people all over the world are learning about the orisha. My life has been blessed continually by the orisha, and the arrangements on this record exhibit my immense gratitude.

I was first attracted to Lucumí songs at various Afro-Cuban dance classes in Boston in 2000. Having been a songwriter for many years, I became interested in the song structure, the melodic movement, and the deceptive cadence of orisha song. As time passed and I became more familiar with the batá drumming, I began to see how the songs "dressed" the drumming. I began to hear music differently and, in fact, I began to hear this music everywhere. The melodies on this record have been sung by millions of people over generations, across oceans, under brutal conditions. They have survived in the hearts and minds of the international Yoruba community, but most importantly they lasted because they were sounded. These songs were born of mankind, and as they developed they slowly connected and changed, just like any living thing. They are on a path, a path that has led you, and we are connected.

Leana Song is:

Shawn Hennessey (Iyá /Akpon /Guitars /Gyil /Percussion)
Eric Hickey (Itótele /Kidi /Gyil)
Abraham "Cito" Caraballo Candell (Okónkolo / Bobá / Surdo /Coro)
Brian Nadav (Classical Guitar /Axatse /Coro)
Eric "Big Eric" Mosca (Aslatua/ Gankogui/ Coro)
Michael "Frosty" Spiker (Sogo /Maracas /Coro)
Joshua Winer (Coro /Kaganu)
Wesley Rast (Coro /Gankogui)
Yuval Miller (Atoke /Coro)
Gina Ferrera (Shekere/ Coro)
Okomfo Adwoa Tacheampong (Shekere /Akpon on 'Imbe Imbe')
Chukie Joseph (Akpon on 'Chen che kururu')
Jason Fraticelli (Upright Bass)
Brian Marsella (Melodica /Rhodes /Organ)
Elliot Levin (Soprano Sax on 'Todjo' /Flute)
John Thompson (Baritone Sax on 'Todjo' / Tenor Sax on 'Barasuwayo' /Soprano Sax on 'Chen che kururu')
Patrick Hughes (Trumpet on 'Barasuwayo' and 'Ewaze Ago')
Past members: Aron Andrew, Alison Wadsworth, Quint Lange, Joshua Gilgoff, Abigail Fammartino, Jeremy Grenhart
***with honored guest:***
Orlando Enrique Fiol (Piano)



For info contact us:
leanasong@gmail.com.com
www.leanasong.com
www.youtube.com/shawnhennessey
www.facebook.com/Leanasongband

© 2008 Leana Song
All songs traditional
All songs arranged by Shawn Hennessey and Leana Song
Produced by Brian Nadav and Shawn Hennessey
Recorded and Mixed by Tom Spiker and Shawn Hennessey at Undercarriage Studios, Philadelphia PA, USA 2005-2008
Mastered by Hubert Marniau at Studio Voltaire. Paris, France 2008
Album Design: "Frosty" Spiker and Shawn Hennessey
Instrument Photographs: Alya Hameedi 2005 and Marco Roldán 2008
Group Photograph: Marco Roldán 2008