CHUCHITO VALDES

Winner of EIGHT GRAMMY AWARDS, FIVE Grammy Awards and THREE Latin Grammy Awards, and creditor of many doctorates, Dionisio Jesús “Chucho” Valdés Rodríguez natural from Quivican, Province Havana, Cuba. He was born in 1941, The Pianist, composer, professor of music, musical arranger and director of group, began his musical training in his former years, at home, under his father influence “The great Bebo Valdés” and his mother Pilar Rodríguez, teacher of piano and singer. At the age of 3 he already played at the piano the melodies he listened at the radio by ear with both hands at any tone. The positive musical environment of his family allowed him to enter into the knowledge fluently in several styles and genres of music. STUDIES MADE At the age of 5 he received piano lessons, theory and sol-fa with the professor Oscar Muñoz Boufartique, studies that were finished at the Municipal Music Conservatory of Havana at the age of 14. He improved his knowledge with private lessons with Zenaida Romeu, Rosario Franco, Federico Smith and in composition with Leo Brouwer. PROFFESIONAL ACTIVITY At the age of 15 he formed his first Jazz Trio with Emilio del Monte and Luis Rodríguez. In December of 1958 he worked as pianist in the Deauville and St. John Hotels in Havana. In 1959, made his debut with “SABOR DE CUBA” Orchestra directed by his father where he accompanied many important singers of that time like Rolando Laserie, Fernando Alvarez and Pio Leyva. Between1961 and 1963 he worked as pianist at the Martí Theatre, International Salon of Havana Riviera Hotel and at the Musical Theatre of Havana Orchestra´s. In this last year, by Leo Brouwer recommendation, he simultaneously created his Combo that in 1965 added a singer called Amado Borcela, better known as “Guapachá” work that opened a new way in the Cuban Popular Music: It was like Irakere´s preamble where many of its founders accompany him. In 1967 he incursed in the Cuban Modern Music Orchestra under the direction of Armando Romeu and Rafael Somavilla, so matured in Chucho his knowledge consolidated as group leader. Inside it appeared the Combo idea with a quintet format, and in 1970 he made his debut with it at the Jamboree International Jazz Festival in Poland, converting in the first Cuban group that participated in a Festival abroad of that genre where is congratulated by Dave Brubeck and it located Chucho for the first time, among the better 5 world piano players together with Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. In 1972 after recording the LP “JAZZ BATA” with Carlos del Puerto and Oscar Valdés, Chucho decided to enlarge the format adding brass session and drums. Then he founded in 1973, “IRAKERE” considered the most important group in the Cuban Musical history in the second half of XX century, an explosive mixture of jazz, rock, classicism and traditional Cuban Music, a sound that had never been heard before that revolutionized the Latin music. With Irakere, he developed a created work that joined the musical cuban roots with the most contemporary expressive ways, with masterpieces of great transcendence as “Misa Negra” and “Shaka Zulu” both for Symphonic Orchestra and Irakere. In 1998 he began to work with a quintet format and the vocalist Mayra Caridad Valdés with emphasis of the piano as soloist and leader voice of itself up today. Since 2006 he is declared FAO´s Ambassador of Good willing to the ONU in a ceremony hold at the Vatican, Rome. Since then he gives concerts in Havana each October, 16th World Food Day. New musical experimentations made him conceived at the end of 2009 “Chucho Valdés & the Afro-Cuban Messengers” format that he recorded his more recent CD “Chucho´s Steps” and also they will tour worldwide in 2010 and 2011. Until 2010, Chucho Valdés has chaired the Organization Committee of the International Jazz Plaza in Cuba. He usually teaches as Titular Professor at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana and also at Universities all over the world. INTERNATIONAL TOURS He has presented at the most famous sceneries as Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Centre, Lincoln Centre, Hollywood Bowl, Blue Note NY, Village Vanguard, Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires, among others; sharing them with exceptional musicians like Herbie Hancock by 2 pianos; Billy Taylor, Kenny Barron, Michel Legrand, Frank Emilio, Michel Camilo, Chano Dominguez, Marian Marpartlan, Mulgrew Miller, John Lewis, Chick Corea, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Brandford and Wynton Marsalis, Carlos Santana, Joe Lovano, Grover Washington Jr., Dizzy Gillespie, Hugh Fraser, David Sánchez, George Benson, Taj Mahal, Max Roach, Jack Dejonnette, Ron Carter, Idris Muhamed, Eddie Gomez, Gato Barbieri, Giovanni Hidalgo, Tito Puente and with the followings Orchestras: Lincoln Centre Big Band, Village Vanguard Orchestra, John Clayton Big Band and Machito´s Orchestra. In 2008 he performed in London, Paris, Turkey, Portugal, Greece and at the Lebanon together with Michel Legrand. In Spain made a promotional tour with Pablo Milanés, presenting the CD “Más allá de todo” and also presented with his father Bebo the CD “Juntos para siempre” in nine concerts. At beginning of 2009 Chucho has performed in front of 12.000 people at the Cathedral Plaza Concert in Panama City and at the most prestigious stages of Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. Tours for more than 50 countries in all continents and performances at the most famous sceneries in the world, the support and recognition to his interpretative work which was considered by the specialized critics one of the best pianist in the world. DISCOGRAPHY He has recorded an average of 87 discs and 33 collaborations in another discography projects. In 1964 he recorded his first LP “Jazz Nocturno” (Descarga vol. 1) with his Combo (as Irakere preamble). Irakere has been the first Cuban musical group to get a Grammy award in 1979 for the LP “Misa Negra”. He has got 17 nominations and another 7 Grammy Awards: - HAVANA(1997) - LIVE AT VILLAGE VANGUARD (2000) - CANCIONES INÉDITAS (2002) - NEW CONCEPTIONS (2004) - JUNTOS PARA SIEMPRE (2009-2010) - CHUCHO´S STEPS (2011) PRIZES AND RECOGNITION Among others distinctions and recognitions he has received: - HONORARY DOCTORATE at VICTORIA UNIVERSITY in CANADA 1997. - “FELIX VARELA ORDER” OF FIRST GRADE for his relevant artistic merits in 1998- given by STATE of COUNCIL of the Republic of Cuba. - HONORARY DOCTORATE in ARTS, year 2000. - DISTINCTION TO PEDAGOGIC MERIT in 2001, both given by the INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE ARTE OF HAVANA. - NATIONAL CUBAN MUSIC AWARD (shared with Leo Brouwer) in its first edition, year 2000. - He was enrolled in the HALL OF FAME OF THE LATIN JAZZ in LOS ANGELES, in a ceremony with TITO PUENTE, EDDIE PALMIERI and LALO SHIFFRIN in 2000. - MUSIC AWARD in SPAIN in JAZZ CATEGORY, 2009 for the CD “Juntos para siempre”, recorded with his father BEBO VALDÉS under label CALLE 54 RECORDS. He has received the City Keys of the following places: PONCE (PUERTO RICO), LOS ÁNGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, NEW ORLEÁNS and MADISON, (USA) and the most recently in PANAMA CITY in January 2009. For his virtuosity hold in the instrument he has been creditor of many Awards as Soloist in different international festivals.