Bobi Céspedes

Singer/songwriter Gladys “Bobi” Cespedes has been a leader and pivotal player in the thriving San Francisco Bay Area cultural scene for over 40 years. Bobi’s music integrates Cuban folkloric and modern elements in a distinctive sound that fuses traditional Cuban son with rumba, Orisha music and jazz elements. Bobi first won international recognition as director and lead singer for the award-winning Bay Area band, Conjunto Céspedes. With the Conjunto, she toured internationally and opened for such greats as Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades and Brian Ferry. Her vocals on the soundtrack for Peter Bratt’s film, Follow Me Home, brought her to the attention of Mickey Hart, who invited her to record and tour with his band.
In the last 20 years Bobi has recorded three albums with her own band, including her most recent release of original compositions, “Mujer Y Cantante.” As an educator, performer and elder priestess in the Afro Cuban Lukumí religion, Bobi Céspedes provides fresh ways for contemporary audiences to be touched by Cuban music and culture, furthering the legacy of such vocalist as Celina Gonzales, Celia Cruz, and Merceditas Valdés.
https://www.bobicespedes.com/