With this disc, ethnomusicologist Amanda Villepastour and Cuban co-producer Luis Bran unravel a compelling history and historiography surrounding Ilú Keké, a set of sacred batá drums that reappeared in Matanzas, Cuba in 2008. The liner notes reveal a trajectory of obscurity and restoration of the instruments from the nineteenth century to the present, contextualising the batá set’s historical significance within contested oral and academic narratives. What’s the relationship of Ilú Keké to the famed Añá Bí set, the producers ask, and could this make Ilú Keké one of the oldest—or even the oldest—extant batá sets in Cuba? The album animates these questions by offering the first recordings made on Ilú Keké, featuring energised performances by multiple generations of Añá drummers and vocalists.

Of interest to enthusiasts of Cuba’s batá repertoires, the recordings offer a valuable, high-quality archive of lesser-known, Matanzas-style toques (rhythms). The arará, bembé, and iyesá drumming traditions of Matanzas alternate with regional toques dedicated to specific orichas (deities), providing an alternative to the Havana styles disseminated by capital-based labels such as EGREM and Unicornio. The album contextualises the performances on Ilú Keké within Matanzas’ broader soundscape, interweaving studio sessions with recordings of morning prayers, live rituals, street noise, Spanish-language interviews, and the ritually resonant sounds of ocean waves and trains. The result is a valuable collection of toques, cantos (songs), and field recordings that situate Ilú Keké within one of Cuba’s vibrant ritual communities while highlighting the unique regional styles of Matanzas province.