Los Fakires

Drawing their moniker from the wandering Indian conjurers and reputed holy men called Fakirs, the Cuban ensemble Los Fakires formed in the early 1960s with the aim of reviving the earliest Afro-Cuban strain of the multiethnic Son. They also drew on their deepest ancestral customs to revitalize their sound, weaving in verse from rural farmers and the singular vocal delivery of lead singer Martín Chaves, better known as Cascarita.

This quintet began its inaugural U.S. tour in November 2001, after which it issued a self-titled album in July 2002.