About Bakosó

Bakoso reveals the influence of contemporary African music in Cuba as not just a thing of the past, but a phenomenon happening now! This documentary produced and directed by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, explores the technology, culture and landscape that forms the AfroBeats / Cuban fusion genre “bakosó”.

Made in collaboration with DJ Jigüe who created Cuba's first independent Afro-Cuban music label and arts collective called Guámpara Music, the film follows his journey back to his home of  Santiago de Cuba. He explores bakoso, which itself is beautiful proof that the exchange between Cuba and Africa did not end with the Transatlantic slave trade. Through stunning visuals and a score created by the founders of the genre, the film allows the audience entry into this vibrant  fusion.

We have filmed, edited and are in post-production process!  We are asking our community to support us in being able to finish the last few steps in our journey to properly release the film, so that we can share the story far and wide.

What we still Need

We have committed to working with a local Cuban production team and are thankful for the help of our community and volunteers, who have gotten us this far. Right now, we are asking for support to finish the film at the level of quality it deserves.

All funds will go to the following services:

• Color grading and correction
• Graphic Design
• Music Composition
• Securing music rights
• Sound effects and Sound mix
• Marketing and Film Festival expenses

The Impact

What does “Está Rico” by Marc Anthony, Will Smith & Bad Bunny have in common with “Made For Now” by Janet Jackson & Daddy Yankee? They both used AfroBeats without giving the genre’s origin props. After spending years producing films, multimedia and music projects together, DJ Jigüe and I set out to tell the story of Bakosó, which flips the script on the way AfroBeats is currently being appropriated by popular culture.

AfroBeats and Cuba are both trending on a global cultural landscape, which is why it's important that we fund projects like Bakosó, which are told by and for the community and encourage a deeper look into the origin of the music we know and love. When Bakosó was featured in the digital magazine, The Outline, writer Rawiya Kameir wrote, “We are still connected, Africa isn’t a thing of the past. It’s still creating new sounds and the culture is still being infused into Cuban and other cultures today.” In today’s globalized world, it is important that we continue to support new narratives about music in the Caribbean and Africa, in order to shift our thinking about the world.

The Time is Now

We have a tight timeline and need to raise a lot of money! We believe in the power of community and hope it can be harnessed now to support us on the production.

Other Ways You Can Help

We appreciate every dollar, but if you are unable to make a financial contribution right now, please share this campaign with other music-lovers:

• Follow us on Instagram (@bakoso_cuba) and on Facebook! Help spread the word
• Bring us to your school or organization for a preview screening and filmmaker-led workshop or discussion. Contact us at bakosofilm@gmail.com