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Jésus "Chucho" Valdés: 1941—: Musician

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Known the world over as a musical giant, the six and a half foot tall Chucho Valdés's physical stature matched his musical accomplishment. The Afro-Cuban musician has been been the recipient of five Grammy Award nominations and two Grammys. His fascinating blend of African, South American, Cuban, and Spanish musical traditions seemed to rate a category of music all its own, and was just beginning to garner wide recogntion in the United States in the late 1990s. In 1996 Valdés played on Roy Hargrove's widely acclaimed album Crisol, and numerous U.S. concert dates and a North American record contract followed.

Cuban musicians were not officially permitted to perform in the United States until 1988. Some Cuban musicians, including Valdés's father, overcame that obstacle by defecting. But Valdés, who remained in his own country, was loved not only for his musical genius, but also for the fact that unlike so many musicians, he chose to continue living in Havana, claiming it as his permanent home. Despite the fact that the Cuban government has presented Valdés's success as one of its own, many Cuban people viewed Valdés as "one of them," and therefore, his success as their own.

Grew Up Around Jazz Greats

Born in Quivican, Havana, Cuba, on October 9, 1941, Jésus Valdés, called "Chucho," seemed destined for musical accomplishment. Not only was he the son of two musicians—Ramon "Bebo," and Pilar—his father happened to be a composer and casino owner who rubbed elbows with the early jazz greats. Because of his father's connection to the famous Tropicana club, Valdés became personally and musically acquainted with Buddy Rich, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn, Nat King Cole, Milt Jackson, and Ray Brown.

Valdés literally grew up at the piano, beginning at age three, and continuing on to train formally in classical piano at Havana's Municipal Conservatory. He credited his father with inadvertently inspiring his desire to compose by insisting on regular and accurate practice. During these hours, Valdés wondered why he would like playing one song and not another. Valdés told Down Beat, " I got to thinking that it was such a pity that sometimes songs that started so nicely ended up making no sense. You have to respect what the composer wrote and what he wants, but I have to admit that when I was growing up I would change a lot of the music from how it was written."

At the tender age of 16, Valdés formed a jazz trio. Two years later, he had two albums to his credit with RCA Victor. In 1965 he joined the Elio Reve Orquestra, and in 1967, Valdés formed the Orquestra de Musica Moderna. Out of this group came the widely-known Irakere in 1973. Two of the world-renowned musicians who once played in Irakere are Paquito D'Rivera, an original band-member, and Arturo Sandoval.

The word "irakere" is a Yoruba word which means "forest." The name was a tribute to the place known for producing Africa's legendary percussionists. Although the band members have changed over the years, Irakere remained together, and Valdés continued to be part of the group. Now headed by Valdés's son, Francisco, known as "Chuchito," Irakere fused African and Cuban music into a mix which included elements of rock, classical, jazz, and funk. In the late 1970s Irakere became the first Cuban group signed to an American recording label. The group's first album with Columbia earned them acclaim, including a Grammy Award.

Became Known in United States

The name of Chucho Valdés had been a household word in Cuba and in various other places from the 1960s on. But because of the embargo against Cuba begun by President Kennedy, Valdés was virtually unknown in the United States until the late 1990s when Valdés played on Roy Hargrove's Grammy-winning album Crisol. Sixteen years earlier, in 1980, Valdés founded the Annual Havana International Jazz Festival, an event he continues to direct. A variety of international musicians are invited to take part in the festival, and in 1996, it was Roy Hargrove's turn.

Hargrove invited Valdés to play in Hargrove's band in the United States, and after that, Valdés' North American career took off, with a string of concerts in major cities and several albums released in the country.

In recent years, Valdés has worked as a solo artist, and in groups he founded—the Chucho Valdés Three and the Chucho Valdés Quartet. He continued to play and record with Irakere. Valdés's concerts benefitted from his inspired improvisational performances and commanding presence on stage. He told Down Beat that "Sometimes I think I'm a piano, and sometimes I think that the piano is me. Sometimes I play the piano, and sometimes the piano plays me. The music is always in my head. It's all of my life. It's my life."

Hosted Radio Show

At least four of Valdés's seven children have also become musicians. Son Chuchito played with Irakere, and daughter Layani studied and played piano in Italy. Another daughter was a drummer, and yet another daughter, Mayra, sang on a Valdés album. In addition to his musical work and directing the festival in Havana, Valdés hosted a government-sponsored jazz radio show broadcasting weekly, on Sundays. Cuba's Teatro Nacional's piano bench was fixed in a design to accommodate only Valdés, much to the chagrin of other musicians who wish to play there.

Despite his wide-ranging musical experience and interest, the piano remained Valdés's instrument. Valdés believes the piano to be an integral part of Cuban music, as well as a strong tie to his homeland. As he stated, according to Blue Note Jazz, one of Valdés' record labels, "We Cuban piano players are always thinking of the rhythm base. We're always thinking of Cuba when we play piano."

Selected discography

Cancione Ineditas, Egren, 2002.

Solo Live in New York, Blue Note, 2001.

Pianissimo, Iris, 2000.

Live at the Village Vanguard, Blue Note, 2000.

Briyumba Palo Congo, Blue Note, 1999.

Bele Bele en la Habana, Blue Note, 1998.

Sources

Books

Contemporary Musicians, Volume 25. Gale Group, 1999.

Periodicals

Down Beat, March 1999, v66, i3, p28.

Maclean's, July 16, 2001, p54.

On-line

www.bembe.com/afrocubanismo/musicians.html

www.cosmik.com/aa-may00/chucho_Valdés.html

www.emimusic.ca/bluenote_jazz/features/chuchoValdés.html

www.imnworld.com/Valdés.html

lafi.org/magazine/articles/chucho.html

www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/07.27.00/Valdés-0030.html

www.musiciansnews.com/music/artists/44/Jésus_chucho_Valdés/cd_solo_live_in_new_york.shthl

www.queenstheatre.org/latino-2001.html#Music

www.speakeasy.org/~nthorn/chucho.html

—Helene Barker Kiser