Overview

The Coco Yam Band, hailing from Louisville, KY, presents a lively world music travelogue of Afro-pop, Salsa, Reggae, Funk, Afro-beat and among others. Several members have performed and studied in various countries including Togo, Morocco, Senegal, Spain and India. Performance highlights include the World Equestrian Games, the Kentucky Reggae Festival, the Frazier International History Museum and several of the Worldfest on the Belvedere events in downtown Louisville.
From the inspirational grooves of West Africa to the pulse of Latin clave, the Coco Yam Band covers a lot of ground with with their mighty horns, melodic vocals and strong interlocking guitar parts; all propped up by a driving rhythmic foundation of percussion, bass and drums. Their songs are totally infectious, displaying incredible musicianship, while maintaining world rhythmic versatility. Derivatives of Jazz and R&B permeate their sound as well. 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.
So what do yams, first grown in coconut groves, have to do with this band? Well, just as this starchy staple food feeds many in the tropic regions of the world, the Coco Yam Band feeds it’s globalicious grooves directly to the ears. In the southern U.S., the coco yam plant is known as taro root, or elephant ears. The Coco Yam Band certainly embraces musical diversity, and audiences enjoy hearing and dancing to their vast musical travelogue!