Formed in Harlem by a group of lifelong  friends who believed that "mantequilla mescla todo" (butter blends everything), Casa Mantequilla is a truly cross-cultural New York City musical collective, The ensemble features artists from America, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Congo and beyond, performing songs in multiple languages with inspiration from across the globe. The world can sing together, no matter the tune! Everybody is welcome in the Casa to experience the melodies, instrumentation and songwriting found in soukous, afrobeat, highlife, makossa, rumba, reggae, Southern blues or modern jazz.

David Byrne [“Talking  Heads”) recently praised Casa Mantequilla’s vibrant, groovy funk as a reason to be cheerful" in troubled times.
Come experience our “BIGG sound” - (blues-infused global grooves), and partake of this spicy gumbo of soul! The Mantequilla family welcomes you!!

 Dr. Hawthorne "Hawk" Smith / A founding member of Casa Mantequilla, Hawk is a saxophonist, vocalist and percussionist who has played professionally in the US, Europe, and across the African continent from Gambia to Zambia, and many spots in between. Dr. Smith is an internationally respected Psychologist and the Program Director of the Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture.  www.survivorsoftorture.org

Brendan “Big B” Malone / (a.k.a. “The Spicy One” and “El Gringo Suffrido”) A founding member of Casa Mantequilla, Big B is a bonafide blues man hailing from New Haven, CT. He is a guitarist, vocalist, boat builder and award winning teacher. He is now continuing the Mantequilla tradition in Asturias Spain, with his “NY Go-Go Bounce” music. Check out: www.bigbthemusician.com and www.soulfiends.com.

Mark Righter / A founding member of Casa Mantequilla, Mark is a drummer, percussionist and vocalist from New Haven, CT.  Now residing in Brooklyn, Mark is the driving force behind several music projects in NYC. Mark is also a master-craftsman and the principal at CAMBIUM STUDIO, creating one of a kind furnishing and functional art pieces. www.cambiumstudio.com. He also teaches part-time at Parsons School of Design.

Oscar Debe / An internationally renowned drummer and percussionist from Lagos, Nigeria., Oscar is the "go-to guy" when bands from Africa and the Caribbean come to NYC and need top-shelf accompaniment.  Oscar is an aficionado of African art and artifacts, and runs the truly unique, community-based store in Harlem known as “African Paradise” - dedicated to roots and culture. www.africanparadise.com

Thierry Royo / An accomplished bassist and guitarist who grew up in a musical family in Belgium, Thierry has been involved with many musical projects, including the collective Pablo’s Eye https://pabloseye.weebly.com and several West African bands. He just released his 6th solo album as Royo.  Visit Thierry's Bandcamp page

Mohamed Cherif Kouyate (RIP) / Our dearly departed brother was a son of the griot tradition from West Africa; Kouyate was an internationally known guitarist, band leader and human rights advocate from Guinea. He was the front man for the Mandingo Kings and was a driving force behind the legendary “Africa Nights” at St. Nick’s Pub in Harlem. His creativity is still a driving force for Mantequilla to this day.

Saidou Sangare / A virtuoso guitarist from Burkina Faso, Saidou has recorded and toured extensively with many artists including Oumou Sangare and Manu Dibango in Africa and Europe. He has performed in NYC with Dance Theater of Harlem, Natu Camara and others. He is also spreading the music through innovative musical courses at Princeton University.

John Carlson / A trumpet virtuoso, composer and teacher/clinician. He has achieved international recognition through tours and recordings across many genres, including with: the Machito Orchestra, the Slavic Soul Party, Julius Hemphill, the Charlie Kohlhase Quintet, Palladium Orchestra , Sam Rivers, the Ken Shaphorst Ensemble, Bob Brookmeyer, Chocolate Armeteros, John Tchicai, John Medeski, Dave Liebman,  Mike Stern, and Cab Calloway.

Claudia Tshibangu / A Congolese-Belgian singer-songwriter. Growing up in Antwerp, she found an endless stream of inspiration from artists across genres, such as Franco, Papa Wemba, Tchala Muana, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Bob Marley and many more. Claudia has been honing her skills by studying jazz and performing with musicians and bands in New York City

Mario Cancel-Bigay [Big Eye] / Mario is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, poet and ethnomusicologist. He is also an expert of the cuatro, Puerto Rico’s national guitar, which he has played since age 12. He is a professor of Latin American cultures and Global Works at NYU.

.