MISTA SAVONA
Jake Savona, aka Mista Savona, is arguably Australia’s leading exponent of roots reggae and dancehall music, with major international releases under his belt and worldwide tours including festival appearances in recent years at Glastonbury (UK), Boom (Portugal), Sunska (France), OneLove (UK), Symbiosis (USA), Boomtown (UK) & many more. Savona’s latest project, ‘Havana Meets Kingston’, sees him working alongside legendary Cuban & Jamaican musicians for a world-first album & film project set in Havana. The project features Sly & Robbie, members of Buena Vista Social Club, Los Van Van, Havana Cultura, Ernest Ranglin and many more. The album was released in November 2017 to worldwide critical acclaim, receiving rave reviews and making many ‘top albums of 2017’ lists. The album is unique in that it is sung in both Spanish & English, and mixes Cuban & Jamaican musical styles in a way never heard before. 2018 sees Savona touring the 15 piece band from Cuba & Jamaica worldwide, including festivals in Australia, NZ and Europe. Savona has also been working closely with US electronic label MutiMusic, releasing a series of unique remix and ‘versions’ EP packages that have been highly successful in crossing Savona’s collaborations intro the wider electronic music scene worldwide. Remixes from eminent artists such as Liquid Stranger, Benny Page, Gaudi, Stickybuds & many others have been making major impacts on the global airwaves (including BBC & Rinse FM) as well as the festival & club circuit. These EP’s have been a huge cross-genre success, with several critics even hailing the single ‘I’m Living’ as ‘the no.1 reggae tune’ of the year in 2013. For over a decade Mista Savona has been working hard on building bridges between Australia and the Caribbean’s fertile music scenes. J Mag described Savona’s album ‘Warn The Nation’ (2011) as “Australia’s definitive reggae album” and the Sydney Morning Herald defined it as “fantastic… authentic…the most incredible reggae album”. His pioneering “Melbourne Meets Kingston” (2007) was a magnificent 21 track tour de force – the first ever album length collaboration between Jamaican and Australian musicians. The album was described as “a landmark for Australian music – this is the first time an Australian producer has worked extensively with big-name Jamaican artists over a full- length album. More importantly, it is the strongest reggae & dancehall album produced in this country to date.” Jesse I (PBS)
www.mistasavona.com
www.havanameetskingston.com
www.mistasavona.bandcamp.com
www.soundcloud.com/mistasavona
www.facebook.com/mistasavona
“A glorious celebration…a testament to the power of human collaboration”. Simon
Tucker, (Beat) 2018
“A piece of musical history”. Gardy Stein, Reggaeville (Europe) 2017
“The best reggae album of 2014”. Julien King, Zona Reggae (Italy) 2014
“The no.1 reggae tune of 2013”. Gabriel Calcott, Reality Chant (NZ) 2013
“Australia’s premier reggae and dancehall producer…A major cross cultural coup”.
Dan Rule, MAG 2007
“The best reggae album made in this country”. James D’Apice, Drum media 2007
“A stunning work with a dazzling array of depth”. Martyn Pepperell, Nice Up (NZ) 2007
“Infectious beats and rhymes…a piece of history”. Planet Urban 2007