Album: Transmisión en la Eritá Meta

Artist:  Ilú Keké

Label: Music Works NYC

Release date: August 10, 2017

Formats: CD, MP3

Ethnomusicologist Amanda Villepastour and Cuban producer Luis Bran have teamed up to bring the story of multi-generational religious drums, Ilú Keké, to a global audience. The 21-track album, titled Transmisión en la Eritá Meta, is a rich introduction to Yorùbá deity traditions conducted in the diasporic setting of Cidra. Resulting from the witnessed reminisces of the late Justiliano Pelladito, this musical project took both Villepastour and Bran on an iconic journey to uncover the history of Ilú Keké, one of the oldest remaining bàtá sets in the Matanzas region of Cuba.

The musicality of the album is captivating, even to the novice. Detailed liner notes guide listeners through each selection, providing the history and purpose in addition to key visual images. Locations in and around Cidra feature as prominent backdrops for each track, adding to the presentation’s depth of cultural offering. Drifting between gritty field recordings and pristine studio production, Ilú Keké’s deep-rooted spiritual meaning is captured through powerful drumming that transmits sacred knowledge from the elders to following generations. Transmisión en la Eritá Meta ensures that Ilú Keké takes its rightful place in Cuba’s history of bàtá drumming.

Reviewed by Amy Aiyegbusi