In Habana Sessions, Kepa returns to Abdala Studios, a space he was already familiar with from the “Kalea” collaborations. The intention is to record in the most authentic way possible: without filters or editing, preserving the immediacy of the music that emerged during his encounters with Rolando Luna. The approach follows the same line as the project created with the Melonious Quartet, both marked by the subtitle “Fandango”, where the aim is to revisit his repertoire through new perspectives and musical languages.

At the beginning of April 2009, the trikitilari arrives in Havana to begin sessions defined by creative freedom and close collaboration. The location, already well known to both musicians, is the studio inaugurated by Silvio Rodríguez in 1998 in the Miramar district, beyond the Malecón, at 32nd and 5th Street. Waiting there is Rolando Luna (Havana, 1978), one of the most outstanding pianists of his generation, trained between Cuban rhythmic tradition and the complexity of Afro-Cuban jazz. His career includes awards, praise from Chucho Valdés, collaborations with artists such as Omara Portuondo, aas well as his work as pianist for the Buena Vista Social Club following Roberto Fonseca.

The selection of the eleven pieces performed follows a clear criterion: choosing those that best suit the piano–triki format. In “Kalea” this exploration was already visible, with the piano playing a more prominent role than in earlier works. Kepa describes Habana Sessions as a direct, fresh and transparent album. At a time when excessive technological editing is often questioned, he defends presenting the music exactly as it was recorded, without added layers that might alter the energy shared with Rolando.

Each of the eleven tracks may include several compositions, forming small suites that allow ideas to develop more freely. Pieces such as “Zirkinipez”, “Bihar arte”, “Huriondo”, “Fandango”, “Del Hierro a Madagaskar” or “Bok-Espok” give way to extended introductions by Rolando, which soon intertwine with the trikitixa in a fluid and expansive dialogue. The pieces often exceed five or six minutes, reflecting a process without the constraints of a click track or strict score, where improvisation plays a central role. As they evolve, references to traditional rhythms such as martxa, fandango or arin-arin gradually dissolve, delving into to the language of Afro-Cuban jazz, always accompanied by the characteristic tumbao.

The repertoire also includes previously known compositions by Kepa —“Berhueta – Señora Moça”, “Maren”, “Gaztelugatxeko martxa” and “Madagaskar – Ortigueira dantza”— along with a single new piece, “Maume”, discreetly integrated into the suite “Rekalde dantzatu debalde -Iturrigorri- Dantza con noivos”.

Record label: Hiri Records. Production: Kepa Junkera & Rolando Luna.