The Musicians
Jesús "Chucho" Valdés
Chucho started his first jazz trio at the age of 16 and founded Irakere in 1972
while playing with the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna. An incredibly inventive
and fluid pianist, Chucho combines the influences of musicians such as Art Tatum,
Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner with Afro-Cuban roots and a blazing technique that
leaves one breathless and amazed. He writes most of the band's compositions and
arrangements and has released dozens of albums, both with Irakere and as a solo
performer.
Chucho is revered as a national treasure in Cuba, the Duke Ellington of his country. He receives the admiration and thanks of his people in a way that the Duke never did in his lifetime. When you hear current Cuban jazz or popular music, whether Gonzalo Rubalcaba, N.G. La Banda or Charanga Habanera, you hear the influence of Chucho Valdés and Irakere.
José Luis Quintana Fuerte, "Changuito"
From his early days, Changuito mastered all the drums and percussion instruments of his native Cuba. During his twenty-five years with Los Van Van, perhaps the most popular Cuban group of all time, he furthered the polyrhythmic style known as Songo. He is the most important band percussionist of the last thirty years and has been called the "Elvin Jones of Cuba." On ¡Afrocubanismo! he performs as a featured soloist on Estella a Las Estrellas and Building Bridges.
Los Muñequitos de Matanzas
From the small town of Matanzas near Havana, the reputation of Los Muñequitos has spread around the world through their tours and recordings. They are masters of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and dance and have several releases on the Qbadisc label. On ¡Afrocubanismo!, Los Muñequitos perform with Irakere and others on Xiomara, an electrifying piece that serves as the grand finale to both the recording and the Festival.
Regino Jiménez and Grupo Ilú Añá
Ilú Añá represents a combination of some of the best and most sought after folkloric musicians and dancers in Havana. The group was assembled by Regino Jiménez, one of the foremost authorities on Afro-Cuban music and a premier percussionist and singer. Each of the performers has an extensive background and a distinguished career in many facets of Cuban music.
Richard Egües
A Cuban musical institution, Richard defined the style of Cuban popular flute playing as part of Orquesta Aragón starting in the 1930s. Richard has continued teaching, performing and recording during an illustrious career spanning seven decades. A warm, gentle man and a superlative teacher, Richard continues to guide and inspire new generations of musicians.
Miguel "Angá" Diaz
Anga is in the forefront of Cuban congueros. He has helped define the melodic style of conga playing, typically using five tuned drums. He displays a complete range of technical virtuosity, from the impossibly fast and intricate to the sublimely simple and beautiful. Since he began his solo career two years ago, he has been much in demand and has recently released his first solo album.
Irakere
¡Afrocubanismo¡ represents one of the finest incarnations of Irakere. Enrique Plá on drums, Carlos del Puerto on bass and Carlos Averhoff on tenor sax have played with Irakere from the very beginning. Juan Mungia on trumpet and César Lopez on alto sax are yet two more prodigious talents. Each is featured on several pieces.
