Coco Yam Band
Coco Yam Band, hailing from Louisville, KY, presents a lively world music travelogue of Afro-pop, Salsa, Reggae, Afro-beat and Cha-Cha among others. From the inspirational grooves of West Africa to the pulse of Latin clave, this ensemble covers a lot of ground with their mighty horns and strong rhythmic drive. Their songs are totally infectious, displaying incredible musicianship, while maintaining world rhythmic versatility. Derivatives of jazz and funk permeate their sound as well. Coco Yam Band certainly embraces musical diversity, and audiences enjoy hearing and dancing to their vast musical travelogue!
Coco Yam Band
With a combined member professional experience of over 100 years, several of the members have performed and studied in various countries including Togo, Morocco, Senegal, Spain and India. Performance highlights include the International Festival in New Albany, Indiana, the Kentucky Reggae Festival, the Frazier International History Museum and several WorldFest on the Belvedere events in downtown Louisville. The members of Coco Yam Band enjoy learning and performing diverse musical styles from around the world, and sharing the joy of these musics with audiences at community festivals, fairs and other events.
Coco Yam Band members include Yahya Johnson on tenor sax and conga drums; Gregory Acker on flute, soprano saxophone, percussion & vocals; Kelli Brodersen on lead vocals; Kaohimaunu Jacob and Paul Carney on electric guitars; Steve Loomis on electric bass and Gary Pahler on drum set & vocals.