Pianist, composer and arranger Chucho Valdés has been the most influential musician in modern Afro-Cuban jazz for over half a century. This year, Valdés returns to the international stage to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his legendary group Irakere. The band changed the course of Latin music in the 1970s and 1980s. Their unparalleled fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms, exquisite percussion, rock, funk, R&B and jazz blurred boundaries and paved the way for the popular dance style timba. While band members such as saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval came and went, Valdés remained the constant factor in the group. Besides working with Irakere, Valdés has recorded over 25 solo albums and racked up seven Grammys and four Latin Grammy Awards. Chucho Valdés: Irakere 50 is not only a celebration of an iconic group and artist but also a showcase for a new generation of Cuban talent.
