Chucho was the son of Bebo Valdes, a well-known musician. He started playing piano at the age of three years old and was already leading his own group by the age 16 mark. His father fled Cuba in 1960, but Chucho stayed. He founded the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna in 1967. In 1973, he created Irakere. This top Cuban jazz band was also composed of Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D’Rivera, and many others. Since the beginning, Valdes has been Irakere’s musical director. He has recorded both with the entire band and in smaller groups. He is still one of the most prominent Cuban jazz musicians. Text contributed by users is available under Creative Commons By–SA License. It may also be available under GNU FDL.
