Five musical years of Macumba

When the worlds of Latin, jazz and world music come together, it is an explosion of sounds, colours and rhythms. The Cypriot music scene has been enjoying this pulsating fusion, largely thanks to a local band of acclaimed musicians who are on a mission to spread music and joy. Macumba, comprised of Elias Ioannou, Giorgos Morfitis, Rodrigo Caceres and Rodos Panayiotou, is celebrating five years as a band and is putting together a concert full of surprises.

On May 15, the band will take over Rialto Theatre with its Afrocuban and Brazilian rhythms, blended through a modern jazz aesthetic. Lively tunes from their first album Como Jungando will be performed along with pieces from their upcoming discography scheduled for release in October. Their five-year anniversary show will not just feature the band members as Macumba has invited several guest musicians to share the stage. These include Cuban vocalist Pedro-Son Caliente, keyboard player Andreas Panteli, saxophonists Charis Ioannou and Christos Zenios, percussionists Andreas Stefanou and Giorgos Koulas and guitarist Stefanos Riris.

Also part of the evening is participation by some members of the Batukinio percussion group that Panagiotou leads and dance artist Filipa. More surprises are to come Panagiotou told the Cyprus Mail as Macumba will put on a memorable show.

“We feel immense joy,” he said, “because we managed after five years to reach the point where we are now as a team and as a band and we are celebrating our fifth anniversary and we think that’s worth sharing. We’re are looking forward to performing once more in front of audiences.”

Throughout their career so far, Macumba has presented their frenzied dance jazz music in various festivals and concert grounds with great success in Cyprus and abroad. Some of the most significant have been at Unesco’s Gardens of Sound Music Festival in Poland, the ATJF Athens Technopolis Jazz Festival, the Rialto World Music Festival, Windcraft Festival, Aglajazz Festival and The Afro Banana Republic Festival.

“A huge experience we had was our participation in Poland when we were invited to the jazz festival. The concert was incredible, the crowd loved our performance and it was a moment we cherish as we represented Cyprus. Of course, the experiences we had so far are many, the making of our first album is another special one,” Panagiotou added.

Macumba’s performances bring playfulness, high spirits and high energy serving a Latin twist on jazz and world tunes. “Blending these sounds makes music more interesting for audiences,” said Panagiotou. “It’s not monotonous but rather is a style of music that encompasses many surprises. Our fusion of genres brings different notes to the ear each time, it’s colourful and includes many musical changes and this is what we think makes this music special and why it has welcomed a growing fanbase.”

Their concert on May 15 aims to capture the pursuit of creation, the love for music, the appreciation for their followers and supporters and the endless boundary of what it means to be in a band. Cheers to that!

Macumba 5- Year Anniversary + Guest Show

Macumba celebrate their 5^th anniversary with a special concert joined by several musicians, a percussion band and a dancer. May 15. Rialto Theatre, Limassol. 8.30pm. €10,15. www.rialto.com.cy. Tel: 7777-7745