Chucho Valdés

	AfroCubaWeb

Tours - Giras 2002-2003
for Chucho Valdés

Discography

Chucho wins Grammy

Chucho y el premio Grammy

Links

Contacting World - Wide Agent

Chucho Valdés

The legendary Chucho Valdés is the founder and leader of Irakere, one of Cuba's top Jazz groups, and more recently of Crisol with US trumpeter Roy Hargrove. In 1998, Chucho won a Grammy for his work with Crisol. He is also the organizer of the Havana Jazz Festival.

"Chucho started his first jazz trio at the age of 16 and founded Irakere in 1972 while playing with the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna. An incredibly inventive and fluid pianist, Chucho combines the influences of musicians such as Art Tatum, Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner with Afro-Cuban roots and a blazing technique that leaves one breathless and amazed. He writes most of the band's compositions and arrangements and has released dozens of albums, both with Irakere and as a solo performer.

Chucho is revered as a national treasure in Cuba, the Duke Ellington of his country. He receives the admiration and thanks of his people in a way that the Duke never did in his lifetime. When you hear current Cuban jazz or popular music, whether Gonzalo Rubalcaba, N.G. La Banda or Charanga Habanera, you hear the influence of Chucho Valdés and Irakere. "

-- From Bembe Records, http://www.bembe.com/afrocubanismo/musicians.html

Kudos for Cuban music in U.S.

BY PEDRO DE LA HOZ (Granma daily staff writer)

THE 1998 Grammy Awards, held in New York City, brought Cuban musicians two moments of great joy. Not only did the best album of the year in the tropical music category go to Buena Vista Social Club, a record cut at the EGREM studios featuring a constellation of veteran son performers; but also the Latin jazz category went to Havana, the only recording to date by Crisol, a band created in Havana last spring by Chucho Valdés and U.S. trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and in which percussionists José Luis Quintana (Changuito), Miguel Angá and Horacio (El Negro) Fernández contributed their considerable talent.

Chucho was the author of two of the CD's themes, "Mr. Bruce" and "Mambo para Roy," both of which were premiered in Havana's Casa de la Música and were later reprised at last December's Jazz Plaza Festival. He was also responsible for most of the arrangements. This is the second time Chucho has received this prestigious award, the first one in 1978 with his band Irakere, for their disk Live at Newport.

Just a few minutes after the ceremony ended, Hargrove called Chucho and told him, "The miracle has happened!" Changuito heard the news while jamming at La Zorra y el Cuervo jazz club in Havana; Angá got word in Paris; and El Negro found out in Los Angeles about the success of a record which renews the experience of forging "two complementary kinds of music with the same roots," as Chucho defines Latin jazz.

"I told Roy," Chucho recalls, "that this was the moment to make a Cuban-American band with a lot of Latino flavor, since we had the example, among those who live in the United States, of David Sánchez, an exceptional saxophonist, as we saw here at the Havana jazz festival. Angá is the Chano Pozo of this epoch; El Negro made the recording, although the one who came later, Barreto, is an enormous talent; and everyone knows that Changuito is the king of the timbales. The Grammy is nothing more than the culmination of an extraordinary year. That's not just something I'm saying; the videos and the reviews of the most important festivals in Europe and the United States in 1997 prove it."

For the rest of the article, see Granma: http://www.granma.cu/1998/98mar2/10mar4i.html

Tríada para un GRANMY

POR MIREYA CASTAÑEDA FOTOS DE AHMED VELÁZQUEZ -de Granma Internacional-

El maestro Chucho Valdés fue categórico: el premio Grammy es ante todo un reconocimiento a la calidad. Y nadie mejor que él entre los músicos cubanos para confirmarlo, pues con su grupo Irakere fue el primero que logró, en 1979, alcanzar ese galardón, "el máximo de la discografía".

Naturalmente la calidad, porque el Grammy habla de discos vendidos, y no puede despreciarse la capacidad de los compradores a la hora de la selección, independientemente de la publicidad, punto absolutamente relevante, y algo más, la distribución.

Distribución y ventas, acompañando a la calidad, forman la tríada necesaria para entrar en la competencia por un premio que por sí mismo significa propaganda e incremento de las ventas.

El encuentro con Chucho Valdés, en los jardines de la Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC) ha sido casual, pero la conversación obligada porque -ya lo publicamos en estas páginas- el disco Habana grabado por el grupo Crisol integrado por músicos cubanos y norteamericanos, alcanzó este año el Grammy en la categoría latin jazz.

Recuerda el maestro que todo surgió cuando invitó al trompetista Roy Hargrove al Festival de Jazz de La Habana de 1996 y le propuso revitalizar el trabajo que en los 40 realizaran Chano Pozo, Mario Bauzá y Dizzy Gillespie. "Me dijo que sí, pero que se necesitaban composiciones y arreglos, a lo que respondí que yo podía hacerlos".

Hargrove y sus músicos, Chucho, con Changuito (nominado en 1996 con Ritmo y Candela), Angá, Jorge Reyes y Horacio Hernández -la banda Crisol- hacen la prueba en el Festival y la sonoridad resultó interesante para la crítica, el público y ellos mismos, que deciden una gira por Estados Unidos y Europa, y como resultado en enero de 1997 graban un disco en Italia con la disquera holandesa Verwe, con el título Habana, ciudad donde se fraguó.

Por lo demas del articulo, consulta Granma: http://www.granma.cu/1998/98mar4/12mar6e.html

Tours - Giras 2002 - 2003

for CHUCHO VALDES (updated 11/3/02)

11/06/02	Ciudad Real, Spain	Univ. De Castilla De La Mancha
11/08/02	Granada, Spain	Teatro Isabel La Catolica
11/09/02	Zaragoza, Spain	Auditorio De Zaragoza
11/12/02	Malaga, Spain	Teatro Cervantes
11/13/02	Salamanca, Spain	Festival
11/14/02	Cartagena, Spain	Teatro Circo
11/15/02	Barcelona, Spain	Palau De La Musica
11/17/02	London, UK	Queen Elizabeth Hall
11/22/02	Johannesburg, SA	Caesar's Palace Hotel & Casino
11/23/02	Johannesburg, SA	Caesar's Palace Hotel & Casino
11/24/02	Johannesburg, SA	Caesar's Palace Hotel & Casino
01/29/03	Philadelphia, PA	Verizon Hall - Kimmel Center
01/30/03	Washington, DC	Lisner Auditorium
01/31/03	Princeton, NJ	McCarter Theatre
02/01/03	Newark, NJ	New Jersey Performing Arts Center
02/07/03	Buffalo, NY	Kleinhans Music Hall
02/08/03	Marquette, MI	Kaufman Auditorium
03/27/03	Hanover, NH	Spaulding Auditorium
03/28/03	Portsmouth, NH	Portsmouth Music Hall
03/29/03	Burlington, VT	Flynn Theatre
03/30/03	Boston, MA	Berklee Performance Ctr.
04/16/03	Santa Barbara, CA	Campbell Hall
04/18/03	Los Angeles, CA	Bovard Auditorium
04/19/03	Long Beach, CA	Carpenter Performing Arts Center
04/21/03	Seattle, WA	Benaroya Hall
04/23/03	Edmonton, AB	Francis Winspear Centre For Music

2002

09/18/02	Rochester, NY	Eastman Theatre
09/19/02	Rochester, NY	Eastman Theatre
09/20/02	Rochester, NY	Eastman Theatre
09/22/02	San Antonio, TX	Jazz's Alive
09/26/02	New Orleans, LA	Contemporary Arts Ctr.
09/27/02	Atlanta, GA	Variety Playhouse
09/28/02	Philadelphia, PA	Zellerbach Theatre
10/04/02	Chapel Hill, NC	University Of North Carolina
10/05/02	Asheville, NC	Lipinsky Auditorium
10/06/02	Davidson, NC	Davidson College
10/07/02	Wilmington, NC	Kenan Auditorium
10/08/02	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
10/09/02	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
10/10/02	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
10/11/02	New York, NY	Metropolitan Museum
10/11/02	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
10/12/02	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
10/13/02	New York, NY	Village Vanguard

2001 for Chucho Valdes Quartet

07/28/01	Tokyo, Japan	Blue Note
10/13/01	Luxembourg City, Luxembourg	MusicWorks
11/09/01	Hollywood, FL	Hollywood Jazz Festival
11/10/01	Macon, GA	Grand Opera House
11/11/01	Atlanta, GA	Variety Playhouse
11/13/01	Asheville, NC	Lipinsky Auditorium
11/15/01	Buffalo, NY	Kleinhans Music Hall
11/17/01	Englewood, NJ	John Harms Center
04/19/02	Granville, OH	Denison University
04/20/02	Cleveland, OH	Tri-C Jazz Festival
04/21/02	Dayton, OH	Art Institute
04/30/02	Lynchburg, VA	Academy Of Music Theatre
05/01/02	Kalamazoo, MI	Irving S. Gilmore International

Previous listings

03/21/01	St. Louis, MO	Jazz At The Bistro
03/22/01	St. Louis, MO	Jazz At The Bistro
03/23/01	St. Louis, MO	Jazz At The Bistro
03/24/01	St. Louis, MO	Jazz At The Bistro
03/25/01	Philadelphia, PA	Zellerbach Theatre
03/26/01	Philadelphia, PA	Zellerbach Theatre
03/27/01	Vienna, VA	Barns Of Wolf Trap
03/28/01	Greenville, NC	Wright Auditorium
03/30/01	Barre, VT	Barre Opera House
03/31/01	Hanover, NH	Spaulding Auditorium
04/02/01	Santa Cruz, CA	Kuumbwa Jazz Center
04/03/01	San Jose, CA	Club Ibex
04/04/01	Berkeley, CA	Zellerbach Auditorium
04/06/01	Torrance, CA	El Camino College
04/07/01	San Diego, CA	Neurosciences Institute
04/10/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/11/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/12/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/13/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/14/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/15/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/18/01	Cleveland Hts., OH	Nighttown
04/19/01	Ann Arbor, MI	Bird Of Paradise
04/20/01	Minneapolis, MN	Hilton Hotel
04/21/01	Madison, WI	Memorial Union
05/28/01	Atlanta, GA	Jazz Festival
05/30/01	San Juan, PR	Heineken Jazz Festival
06/01/01	San Juan, PR	Heineken Jazz Festival
06/02/01	San Juan, PR	Heineken Jazz Festival
06/03/01	San Juan, PR	Heineken Jazz Festival
06/19/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's
06/20/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's
06/21/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's
06/22/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's
06/23/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's
06/24/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's
07/15/01	Los Angeles, CA	Hollywood Bowl
07/21/01	Tokyo, JPN	Kutchan Jazz Festival
07/23/01	Tokyo, JPN	Blue Note
07/24/01	Tokyo, JPN	Blue Note
07/25/01	Tokyo, JPN	Blue Note
07/26/01	Tokyo, JPN	Blue Note
07/27/01	Tokyo, JPN	Blue Note
07/28/01	Tokyo, JPN	Blue Note
11/16/01	Buffalo, NY	Kleinhans Music Hall
11/17/01	Englewood, NJ	John Harms Center

11/10/00	New Orleans, LA	University Of New Orleans
11/11/00	Kalamazoo, MI	Kalamazoo State Theatre
11/12/00	Toledo, OH	Valentine Theater
11/13/00	St. Paul, MN	Dakota Bar & Grill
11/14/00	St. Paul, MN	Dakota Bar & Grill
11/16/00	Columbia, MO	Columbia College
11/17/00	Houston, TX	Cullen Theatre
11/18/00	Scottsdale, AZ	Scottsdale Ctr. For Arts
11/19/00	Calgary, AB	Jack Singer Concert Hall
03/17/01	Austin, TX	One World Theatre
03/21/01	St. Louis, MO	Jazz At The Bistro
03/22/01	St. Louis, MO	Jazz At The Bistro
03/23/01	St. Louis, MO	Jazz At The Bistro
03/24/01	St. Louis, MO	Jazz At The Bistro
03/25/01	Philadelphia, PA	Zellerbach Theatre
03/26/01	Philadelphia, PA	Zellerbach Theatre
03/27/01	Vienna, VA	Barns Of Wolf Trap
03/30/01	Barre, VT	Barre Opera House
03/31/01	Hanover, NH	Spaulding Auditorium
04/04/01	Berkeley, CA	Zellerbach Auditorium
04/06/01	Torrance, CA	El Camino College
04/10/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/11/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/12/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/13/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/14/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/15/01	New York, NY	Village Vanguard
04/21/01	Madison, WI	Memorial Union
06/19/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's
06/20/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's
06/21/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's
06/22/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's
06/23/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's
06/24/01	Oakland, CA	Yoshi's

http://www.imnworld.com/valdes.html has updated tour dates.

Links

Interview on the Ministry of Culture's web site:
www.cult.cu/exclusiva/chucho.html

Chucho and Irakere in the CD Afrocubanismo:
http://www.bembe.com/afrocubanismo/musicians.html

Discography

Bele Bele En La Habana

1. Son Montuno
2. Lorraine
3. But Not For Me
4. Con Poco Coco

5. El Cumbanchero
6. Tres Lindas Cubanas
7. La Sitiera
8. Los Caminos

Click here for latest pricing and to order ==>

Live!

Click here for latest pricing and to order ==>

Pianissimo

Click here for latest pricing and to order ==>

Check our Irakere's Discography

Click here for Chucho's own discography at ==>

Contacting Chucho Valdez's World Wide Agent

International Music Network
These folks represent Chucho Valdes world-wide and Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González, and the AfroCuban Allstars in North America. They have nothing to do with the Jazz Festival in Havana! For that, see Jazz Festival Plaza 2000, where it described how ot contact the organizers.

2 Main Street., 4th Floor.
Gloucester, MA 01930

Phone: 978-283-2883
Fax: 978-283-2330

E-mail: music@imnworld.com For Jazz Fest 2000, contact icm@artsof.cult.cu in Cuba
Website: http://www.imnworld.com

Their site on Chucho: http://www.imnworld.com/valdes.html. It has updated tour dates.

Contacting AfroCubaWeb

Postal address: Box 1054, Arlington, MA 02474
Electronic mail: acw_AT_afrocubaweb.com [replace _AT_ with @]

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Chucho Valdés

Kudos for Cuban music in U.S.

Tours - Giras 2002 - 2003

for CHUCHO VALDES (updated 11/3/02)

Links

Discography

Contacting Chucho Valdez's World Wide Agent

Contacting AfroCubaWeb

Copyright © 1997 AfroCubaWeb, sa Last modified: February 24, 2007

Copyright © 1997 AfroCubaWeb, sa
Last modified: February 24, 2007