OKAN and Daymé Arocena Turn “Te Falta Grasa” Into a Bold New Take on Cuban Reparto and Ancestral Power

OUT SEPTEMBER 18 ON LULAWORLD RECORDS

Sept 18, 2026

For Immediate Release

The long-awaited collaboration brings two generations of Afro-Cuban women together for an unexpected take on contemporary Cuban music, produced by Miami reparto pioneer Frank Palacios.

Photo credit: Johnny Leon September 18, 2026

Two-time JUNO Award-winning Afro-Cuban duo OKAN joins forces with Grammy-nominated Cuban singer and songwriter Daymé Arocena on “Te Falta Grasa,” a bold and playful new single that finds the artists stepping into the contemporary Cuban reparto sound while staying firmly rooted in their Afro-Cuban musical identity.

Produced by Miami-based producer Frank Palacios, one of the producers who helped shape the evolution of modern reparto, “Te Falta Grasa” is not the collaboration many might have expected from these artists. With OKAN’s sophisticated musicianship, layered harmonies and Afro-Cuban rhythmic language meeting the infectious energy of reparto, the track brings together two generations of Cuban women who continue to push the boundaries of their musical traditions.

The collaboration has been a long time coming. Fans of OKAN and Daymé Arocena have been hoping to hear the artists together for years, with many perhaps expecting a jazz-oriented recording. Instead, they chose to embrace one of the most popular contemporary Cuban sounds, creating a track that is equally rooted in where they come from and where Cuban music is going.The single will be released alongside an official music video featuring OKAN and Daymé Arocena, with a worldwide premiere on Friday, September 18.

The video brings the collaborators together on screen for the first time, capturing the chemistry and irreverent spirit of “Te Falta Grasa” while giving the song its own visual language. The video will premiere on YouTube alongside the single’s release.

The visual world of “Te Falta Grasa” is shaped by Cuban creative director and producer Liz Lopez, whose work with OKAN extends across the project’s visual narrative, including the music video and album artwork.

At the center of the song is the expression “Te falta grasa,” commonly heard in Puerto Rico, where Arocena has lived for several years. Literally translated as “you’re missing grease,” the phrase is used to describe someone who lacks flavor, charisma or natural presence. OKAN takes that idea somewhere deeper, turning “grasa” into a metaphor for an inner force that cannot be bought or imitated.

“La Grasa tiene power ancestral,” the song declares.

For OKAN, that ancestral power is connected to identity, confidence and ashé, the vital energy and spiritual force that runs through Afro-Cuban culture. What begins as a humorous response to criticism becomes a celebration of knowing who you are and refusing to let someone else define your worth.

“Te Falta Grasa” also represents a new emotional chapter for OKAN. The song is part of the duo’s forthcoming album “Ife Ara,” meaning “self-love,” through Lulaworld Records. “Ife Ara” follows a deeply personal journey through grief, confrontation, healing and transformation. Here, Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne arrive at a different place: they are ready to laugh, dance and simply enjoy themselves.

That sense of freedom is reflected in the music. Alongside the contemporary reparto production are Afro-Cuban rhythmic references, live musicians, layered vocal arrangements and violins that bring elements of OKAN’s charanga and classical backgrounds into the track. Near the end, traditional chants invoking Ogún, the Yoruba orisha associated with iron, determination and the clearing of obstacles, add another layer to the song’s message of strength and perseverance.

For OKAN, whose Cuban roots have long been at the center of a sound that moves between jazz, folk, classical music and global rhythms, “Te Falta Grasa” is another example of their willingness to move between musical worlds without being confined by genre. The duo is led by Cuban-born violinist and vocalist Elizabeth Rodriguez and percussionist and vocalist Magdelys Savigne, both Grammy and Latin Grammy nominees. Their most recent album, “Okantomi” received the 2024 JUNO Award and appeared on year-end lists from NPR Alt Latino, Le Monde and CBC Music. The duo has also performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk and toured internationally, including a tour supporting Grammy winners Rodrigo y Gabriela.

With “Te Falta Grasa,” OKAN and Daymé Arocena bring humor, rhythm and ancestral power into the same conversation and make a little room to celebrate along the way.

“Te Falta Grasa” is out September 18, 2026 on Lulaworld Records.

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