Carlos “Patato”, Valdes was the most prominent conguero of his time. He was renowned for his unique rhythmic and melodic sensibilities. In fact, he invented the tunable conga which virtually reinvented the instrument. Valdes was born in Havana on November 4, 1926. His father, Los Apaches guitarist, was his guitar player. He was a child prodigy who learned a variety of instruments and started playing professionally as a teenager. His diminutive stature earned him the nickname “Patato”. Valdes started studying congas with La Sultana at the age of 12. His melodic ability quickly made him stand out from his peers. He replaced Valentin Cane, who was ill, in La Sonora Matancera in 1946. A year later, he signed with Alberto Ruiz. Conjunto Casino took Valdes to New York City in 1952. He returned two years later. Mongo Santamaria recommended Valdes to Tito Puente. Valdes quickly became one of the orchestra’s most popular attractions. He was a brilliant, unfailing showman who managed to dance on top his congas during performances. But his greatest strength was his instrumental virtuosity. His first studio session was with Kenny Dorham, a trumpeter whose 1955 classic Afro-Cuban propelled him to the forefront of Latin jazz. The Puente LPs Cuban Carnaval, and Puente In Percussion further elevated his standing. Brigitte Bardot even learned the mambo from Roger Vadim in his 1956 classic film And God Created Woman. Valdes was already a member in vadim’s film when it hit theaters. He was recommended by Mario Bauza to Machito’s Latin jazz orchestra and he stayed there for five more years. Although most of his peers used one or two drums, Valdes grew his arsenal to include three to four drums. This allowed him to play a wider variety of tones. His greatest success was during his decade-long relationship with Herbie Mann, a flautist who featured on many of the best-selling albums, including Flautista! and Right Now. He also recorded sessions during the 1960s to support guitarist Grant Green, Vibist Cal Tjader, and Tenorist Charlie Rouse. Valdes was able to lead his own session in 1967, when he teamed up with Eugene “Totico”, a singer and co-headliner from Havana. This was for the iconic Patato.
