Gladys “Bobi” Céspedes was born in Cuba and emigrated to the States in 1959. In 1967 she was initiated as a Yoruba-Lucumi priestess. She now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she maintains a rigorous schedule of concerts, religious rituals, and travels lecturing at the university level.
In the 1980s, she co-founded the 12-piece Conjunto Céspedes, which combined the traditional poetry and nuances of Cuban music with modern horn arrangements and has since become one of this country’s most groundbreaking and contemporary Latin bands.
Bobi’s work with Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum & Bembe Orisha bands brought her to wider attention.
In 2003 she recorded her firts solo album, Rezos (Prayers) for the Six Degrees label.
Discography:
Rezos (Six Degrees, 2003)
Patakín (2009)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
