Chucho Valdés

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• Chucho Valdés (Piano)

• country:
  Cuba
• style(s):
  Jazz
• label:
  Blue Note Records
• type:
  Band, Solist
• gender:
  male
• artist submitted by:
  Kino Music srl

Chucho Valdes was born in Quivican-Province Havana, Cuba, in 1941, son of Bebo Valdes, important Cuban pianist and composer, and Pilar Rodriguez.
He began to play the piano just hearing at 3 years old; at the age of 5, he began to receive piano lessons, theory and solfeggio with professor Oscar Munoz Boufartique. At 8 years, he started at the Municipal Conservatory, ending piano, theory and solfeggio. At 14 years, he continued his studies with Zenaida Romeu, Rosario Franco, and composition with Leo Brower.
At 15 years, he started his first jazz trio, with Emilio del Monte and Luis Rodriguez. A year later he played with Sabor de Cuba Orchestra directed by his father, until year 1961.
Since 1961 to 1963 he played in the Salon Internacional of the Hotel Havana Riviera. In 1963 he recorded his first long play, titled "Chucho Valdes y su Combo". At the same time he was playing piano with the Musical Theater of Havana Orchestra directed by Tony Tano. He continued recording with his group. In 1964, the group incorporated a singer called Amado Borcela, better known as Guapacha and this recording opened a new way in the Cuban popular music, as the introduction of Irakere, since this group was accompanied by Carlos Emilio Morales (guitar) and Paquito D' Rivera (Sax and Clarinet).
In 1967 the Cuban Modern Music Orchestra is founded and Chucho, with Carlos Emilio and Paquito, become a part of this Orchestra. In 1970 he headed the debut of his quintet in the Jazz Festival Jamboree in Poland and was congratulated by Dave Brubeck; He is now for the first time, among 5 better Jazz Pianists in the world together with Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock and Chick Korea.
In 1972, with Carlos D' Puerto and Oscar Valdes he recorded "Jazz Bata" and later Chucho decided to enlarge the trio, adding horns and battery, found then Irakere in 1973, considered the most important group in the history of the Cuban music in the second half of the 20th century; the founders of this group were Carlos D' Puerto (Bass), Oscar Valdes (percussion and voice), Tato (congas), Carlos Emilio Morales (guitar) Jorge Varona (trumpet), Paquito D' Rivera (Sax) and Chucho (piano, composer, arranger and director).
After these founders the session of metals was expanded with Carlos Averhoff (sax), Arturo Sandoval (trumpet) and in choruses Arming Cuervo. This was the first version of Irakere that was maintained until year 1980.
During that period he played with a group of musicians that later reached international renown, as German Velazco (high sax), Juan Munguia (trumpet), Jose Miguel Crego (trumpet), Manuel Machado (trumpet), Carlos Alvarez (trombon), Javier Salva (sax), Cesar Lopez (Sax), Orlando Valle (Maraca) (Flute), Jose Luis Cortes (flute and sax), El Negron (congas), Jose Miguel Melendez (kettledrum), Adel Gonzalez (congas), Julio Padron (trumpet), Alfredo Thompson (sax) Oscarito Valdes (drum), Diego Valdes (low), Emilio Vega (keyboards), Don Julian (three), Irving Acao (state sax), Roman Filiu (high sax), Basilio Marquez (trumpet) and we forgot to mention that in the first phase of Irakere, (only worked for a short period of time) Lazarus Morua and Hector Rodriguez (voice).
Irakere was the first Cuban group that obtained a Grammy Award in 1980.
Chucho has carried out tours for more than 50 countries being presented in settings as the Carnegie Foyer, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Hollywood Bowl, Blue Note NY, Village Vanguard, Theater Colon of Buenos Aires., Amadeo Roldan, and many others. It has engraved an average of 52 records.
In 1996 Chucho Valdes joined the young musician Roy Hargrove, and they founded the band "Crisol" along with other important musicians of Puerto Rico, United States and Cuba, recording a title Havana, with which they obtained a Grammy Award.
Along his career Chucho has played with figures of the size of Herbie Hancock to two pianos, Billy Taylor, Kenny Barron, Michel Legrand, Frank Emilio, Michael Camilla, Chino Dominguez, Marian Marpartlan, Mulgrew Miller, John Lewis, Chick Korea, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Brandford and Winton Marsalis, Carlos Santana, Joe Lovano, Grover Washington Jr., Dizzy Gillespie, Hugh Fraser, David Sanchez, George Benson, Taj Mahal, Max Roach, Jack Dejonnette, Ron Carter, Idris Muhamed, Gomez, Cat Barbieri, Giovanni Noble, Tito Bridge and with the orchestra of the Lincoln Center Big Band, Village Vangard Orchestra, John Clayton Big Band and the Orchestra of Machito.
In 1997 he received the Doctorate Honoris Causes in the University of Victory, Canada. In 1998 and without leaving Irakere, Chucho founded a quartet with a different musical concept, and where the piano carries the voice singer. This quartet worked for the seal Blue Note Records and engraved four records for the same seal (Bele Bele in Havana, Briyumba Palo Congo, Live at the Village Vangard and New Conceptions). The four were nominated and two of them obtained the Grammy Award.
He has recorded three records under the same label but alone (Alone Piano, Live in New York and Cuban Fantasy), two of them were nominated for the Grammy. He also recorded for the seal Egrem a record of piano solo with all the works of his responsibility called Canciones Ineditas, and again, received the Grammy Award. Till now he has received 5 Grammy Awards and 14 nominations.
Chucho has received the key of the city of Ponce (Puerto Rico), Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans and Madison, in the United States. Besides that, in a ceremony in Los Angeles he was included in the Hall of the Fame of the Latin American Jazz next to Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Lalo Schifrin .
He has received the National Prize of the Music in Cuba, The Doctorate Honorees Causes in Arts in the Upper Institute of Art of Havana, Distinction as Pedagogical Merit in the Upper Institute of Art, and the Medal Felix Varela which is the maximum distinction in the Cuban Culture. Nowadays, he continues his career in growing and is preparing the recording for his opera Obatala.

Links

• Chucho Valdés Website