El Imperio, Delsonido

Brothers and compatriots, the members of El Imperio banded together following two years of performing together with the smash hit Tony Award-winning show Fela!, about the life and times of African music icon and activist Fela Kuti. Bringing a mix of styles from Afrobeat to Bachata, from Soul to Salsa, the band has created an intoxicating style all their own.


Delsonido is a dynamic and multicultural NYC-based band that brings a fully saturated sound to the global music scene.

With a diverse lineup of young musicians, producer/composer Elkin Pautt from Barranquilla, Colombia, first developed the project by meshing vallenato, cumbia and Latin sounds with elements of electronic music. He took the sound a step further by underlining it with influences of funk and reggae. Bottom line? It's impossible not to dance when Delsonido takes the stage.


Delsonido has featured an impressive palette of talented musicians:

Vocalist and songwriter Mai-Elka Prado Gil, a Buddhist from Panama, heads up the band with her sultry, commanding vocals, immersed in Afro-Latin tradition. She infuses hip-hop, R&B and soul influences, creating a powerful and unforgettable mixture. Through lyrics, her global citizen philosophy is conveyed in droves.

Ivan Garizabalo, guitarist from Barranquilla, Colombia, brings a backbone of funk and melody-driven licks to his head-banging afro-rock sound. His rap sheet includes the J-rock power trio Me&Mars and the psychedelic-dub band N4.

Chris Hansen, drummer from the Bay Area of California, moved to New York City to study music at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, where he earned a B.A. in music performance.

Jason Disu, trombonist from California, was mentored by some of the biggest names in horns, including the late influential trumpeter Laurie Frink, Vincent Gardner, Wycliffe Gordon and Elliot Mason. He's recorded and toured the world with acclaimed bands like LCD Soundsystem, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Bobby Sanabria, Talib Kweli, Lady Gaga and David Byrne and St. Vincent.

Anthony Coleman II, trumpeter from Sacramento California, earned a spot in the inaugural class of Dave Brubeck, Don Byas and Christian McBride's Brubeck Institute of Jazz, thanks to his deeply felt respect for the roots and traditions of jazz. He remains an in-demand live performer and studio musician for artists like Ludacris, Joss Stone and Raphael Saadiq.

Delsonido live performances are truly something to behold. They build, almost inconspicuously, from a laid back, anchored energy into arms-waving, hips-swaying dance parties that navigate through a global spectrum of music with seamlessly intensity. The real time collaboration of each musician fuses into a next level sound that inspires a free spirited explosion of festivity, from the front of the stage to the back of the room.