Bobi Céspedes Vocalist’s reach extends across continents and centuries. Besides her singing, she teaches through Head Start and has a new book.

No matter how many musicians she’s got in her band, when Bobi Céspedes takes the stage, she’s accompanied by multitudes. The Cuban-born vocalist and Santeria priestess summons the spirits of her ancestors with every tune, whether she’s singing in Spanish, English or the Yoruban language Lucumi.

She performs on Friday in Berkeley with her new band, Grupo Bayano, featuring Marco Diaz on keyboards and trumpet, bassist Saul Sierra, guitarist Jose Roberto and Cuban percussionist Sandy Perez, a former member of the acclaimed Grupo Afro-Cuba de Matanzas. She’s been writing new material for Grupo Bayano over the past year, and plans to introduce several songs from her forthcoming self-produced CD “Bataquin.”"*

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