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Chucho Valdés Returns To The Iberian Peninsula In November

The Most Recognized Pianist Of The 21st Century Comes Back To The Voll-Damm Barcelona Jazz Festival After Two Years

Chucho Valdés with folded hands dressed in a floral shirt and blue cap
Chucho Valdés has received the award for Musical Excellence from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Latin Composers

The master Chucho Valdés returns to the stage of the Voll-Damm Barcelona Jazz Festival on November 23rd, 2021 after two years of absence. The most recognized Cuban pianist of the 21st century will present his most recent musical production La Creación, a suite in four movements that exalts Yoruba-African history and its influences in South America and the Caribbean. A work dedicated to Olodumare and the worldwide celebration of his 80 years of life.

The founder of the Irakere group comes back to the incomparable sound of the Big Band, Afro-Cuban percussion, Blues, and the set of voices that represents his histrionics as a director, composer, and pianist with La Creación.

On this album, Valdés is accompanied on arrangements, keyboards, and conducting by Canadian Juno award-winning Cuban musician Hilario Durán and the Grammy Award winner and Emmy nominee John Beasley. Playing the Drums is Grammy winner and two Latin Grammy nominee Dafnis Prieto. Also, in La Creación stand out Erick Barbería, Yosvany González Franco, and Felipe Sarria Linares (Batá and voices), José A. Gola (Double Bass and Electric Bass), and Roberto Jr. Vizcaíno (Percussion). Former Van Van member Yeny Valdés adds her melodious voice to this production, while two Grammys winner Brian Lynch and “Daring Improviser” (rated by Jazz Times) Etienne Charles do it by playing the Trumpets. On the other hand, Carlos Averhoff Jr., considered one of the new voices in the new generation of Cuban jazz saxophonists, flaunts his virtuosity on the Tenor Sax and Marcus Strickland on the Alto Sax.

So remember…

Enjoy the concert of the master Chucho Valdés & The Yoruban Orchestra in the Iberian Peninsula!

Date: Tuesday, November 23rd

Time: 8:30 PM

Address: Palau de la Música Catalana. Music auditorium located on Sant Pere més Alt street in the Ribera district of Barcelona, Spain.

Ticket: From 26 €

Chucho Valdés dressed in a floral shirt and yellow cap
Chucho Valdés was born on October 9th, 1941, in Quivicán (Cuba)

In addition to this presentation in Barcelona, ​​the winner of six Grammys and four Latin Grammys, Chucho Valdés has scheduled an autumn tour that will visit the main cities of France and the neighborhood of the principality of Monaco, Monte Carlo. Finishing his tour in the city of Girona – Spain (December 4th) and Castellón de la Plana – Spain (December 11th). Tickets can be found from € 15 depending on the location.

Currently, Dionisio Jesús “Chucho” Valdés Rodríguez, with more than 60 years of experience, directs a course of group classes that contain 14 recorded chapters lasting one hour. This exclusive virtual academy for pianists was inaugurated on March 15th, 2021.   However, this online study platform already includes live lessons and individualized tutoring with the delivery of certificates for advanced pianists.

“After the experience of the group classes in a virtual way, I realized that the students have different needs, so I decided to start with individual classes for advanced musicians. In this way, the classes will be focused directly on the needs of each one”. Chucho Valdés.

Perhaps These Data May Interest You:

Chucho Valdés dressed in white with nature in the background
To attend the Festival, minors under 16 must be accompanied by their father, mother, or legal guardian
  • The Barcelona Voll-Damm Jazz Festival is one of the oldest events and a world reference in Europe. Their first concert was held on November 3rd, 1966.
  • In this festival, master classes are offered by the best specialists, conferences with fascinating and current topics, meetings with artists, as well as outstanding concerts (some free) for fans and lovers of the Jazz genre.
  • For 32 years (1989) The Project has been the Barcelona promotion company in charge of organizing this autumn meeting annually.
  • The Project was created in 1988 and organizes more than 400 concerts a year with approximately 10,000 musical calls to date.
  • The Voll-Damm drink became part of the festival in 2002, becoming its main sponsor.

In Buenos Aires I held the Tango Festival and World Cup 2021

Buenos Aires, Argentina, the place where the spirit of Tango was born, so when tourists visit this beautiful city they say that to get to know it you have to immerse yourself in the magic of dance.

 

Tango is a dance full of sensuality that was born during the 1800s, a musical style that results from the fusion between African culture and the local cultures of the gauchos and native peoples, in addition to the contribution of European immigrants –mainly, Spanish and Italian – and from the Middle East.

The elegant and passionate movement of tango shows the exotic cultural mix of the first tango dancers and the solemn melodies of this music offer the listener a glimpse into the lives of the first Argentine immigrants, and over time the tango later spread to the wealthier areas of Buenos Aires and at the beginning of the 20th century it became a sensation throughout Europe and the United States.

Photo of Tango Dancers
Tango dancers in Buenos Aires

For many years, Tango Festivals have been held in Buenos Aires every year, being a very attractive event for both national and foreign citizens, where many professional Tango dancers participate and compete and this year it is organized again by the Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires, Tango BA Festival and Mundial who announced the champions in the categories Tango de Pista and Tango Escenario which was filling the Buenos Aires center with magic with more than 4000 people who enjoyed it with the Obelisk on Diagonal Street North as part of the stage.

The Tango BA Festival and Mundial was held from September 16 to 26, where shows, tributes and the best dancers performed on stage; more than 400 couples from Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Spain, Romania, Poland, Malaysia, Turkey, United States, United Kingdom, China, Germany, Colombia, Indonesia, Ecuador, Mexico, Latvia, Georgia , Bolivia, Canada and Switzerland competed in the Tango de Pista and Tango Escenario categories in this edition of Tango BA Mundial.

The inauguration began on Thursday, September 16 at the Auditorium of the Usina del Arte at 7:30 p.m. where a tribute was made to maestro Aníbal Troilo (he was a bandoneonist, composer, orchestra conductor of Argentine tango) with the orchestral direction, arrangements and solo violin by Fabián Bertero, the special participation of the dancers Sandra Bootz and Gabriel Ortega, and the presence of notable guests such as the singer Sandra Luna and the pianist José “Pepe” Colangelo, the special production “Pichuqueando”.

Photo of the dance stage Buenos Aires
Dance stage for the Tango festival in Buenos Aires 2021

September 17:

  • Starting at 5 pm: the Carlos Gardel Museum presents the Fileteadoras Talk, by Patricia Berman and Claudia Medori and in turn an interview by Silvia Brunelli and Mercedes González Bracco.
  • At 6:00 pm: at the Abasto Shopping, the La Juan D’Arienzo Orchestra performed.
  • Starting at 7:00 p.m., Hernán Reinaudo presented his album Toro mañero in the Chamber Room of @usinadelarte
  • 7:30 pm: María Garay presented 80 years of Life and Song, in Concert, at the Auditorium of the Usina, which were an exciting celebration of her career, with Marcos & Louise, Champions of Tango de Pista 2020, as dancers, Also at the same time, “Eternamente Di Sarli” was presented with the Orquesta Típica Misteriosa Buenos Aires on the voice of Eliana Sosa, at the Amphitheater of Parque Centenario. With Carlos Rossi, as special guest, and Carla Rossi and José Luis Salvo, as guest dancers, not to mention that at the same time there was a class and exhibition by Soledad Rivero and Cristian Gallardo.

September 18th:

  • From 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tango BA drinks the Historic Quarter. He toured one of the most emblematic areas of the City while enjoying concerts, guided tours, and dance shows. In addition, throughout the afternoon, “La Calle de la Música” came to life on a stage set up on the corner of Chile and Balcarce: where Ache Rey & Foul Envido Tango performed; Vanina Tagini & Gabriel Merlino Trío; Alfredo Piro and Profética y Fatal.
  • At 7:00 pm: Walter Ríos Quinteto presented El Tango y la Danza in the Amphitheater of Parque Centenario. A musical journey through the history of tango, from its origins to its contemporary expression.
  • At 8 pm: Cantá began at the Festival at the Carlos Gardel Cultural Space, with Alberto Bianco as host. Those who dare will be able to show their talent and love for tango on stage

September 19:

  • 12:30 pm: at the Usina del Arte, the Qualifying Rounds of the Tango World Cup were held, in the Tango Track Category.
  • 5:30 pm: in Sur en Vivo – Cultural Center – Milonga del Pueblo by Oscar Héctor, Cantá took place at the Festival, with Alberto Bianco as host. An open microphone for tango players who want to break it on stage.
  • 6:00 pm: The Emilio Balcarce Tango School Orchestra presented a tribute to Elvino Vardaro, the great senior violinist of tango, at the Centennial Park Amphitheater. Roberto Leiva & Valentina Cipollone will dance.

September 20:

  • 5 pm: Milonga Lo de Celia Photographic show Espíritu Milonguero, by Silvia Rojas and the magazine La Milonga Argentina.
  • 7 pm: Milonga Lo de Celia and there was a talk about the spirit of the Argentine milonga, with Silvia Rojas and guests.

September 21:

  • At 1 pm: in the Auditorium of the @usinadelarte (it is a unique space that brings together people from all over the world through the love of tango and dance) where all the qualifying rounds of the Dance World Cup were seen, in In the Stage Tango Category, here each couple presented themselves individually where they demonstrated all their talent to the whole world both live and on the web (internet)

September 22:

  • 6pm: The Milonga La Nacional begins with the presentation of My life in the milongas, by Oscar Héctor. The dancer, milonguero and organizer of spaces, portrays what he has experienced from the age of 9 to the present in the neighborhood clubs.
  • 8pm: Milonga El Beso and Hugo Mastrolorenzo presents his book: El tango ha died on stage. A dystopian tale about a robotic and cloned tango.

September 23:

  • A concert was held from Italy in tribute to Astor Piazzolla, and another from Japan with a repertoire of classics and new compositions

September 24:

  • There were classes and shows in emblematic milongas, proposals in cultural spaces, and the show Remembranzas, by Corporación Tango, in the Centennial Park Amphitheater. In addition, at the Usina del Arte, José Colangelo celebrated his 80 years with special guests: Gabriela Rey, Laura Colangelo and Fabián Bertero.
Photo of el Obelisco - The Tango BA Festival and Mundial 2021
Photo of the Obelisk on Diagonal Norte street

On September 25 and 26:

The grand finale of the BA Tango World Cup began, which will be enjoyed both live and through social networks from Vivamos Cultura; This final was very striking since for the first time the great stage set up was on Diagonal Norte, with the Obelisk in the background, giving it a unique image and experience, with different shows and tributes that filled the heart of the City with tango mysticism with:

  • Concert by the Sans Souci Orchestra, presented by Porteñisimo with the singers Emiliano Castignola and Walter “Chino” Laborde.
  • An emotional tribute was made to Juan Carlos Copes, who died this year, in which Johana Copes, his daughter, participated.
  • 32 couples took the stage to compete for 1st place in the Tango de Pista category.
  • Pablo Banchero accompanied by a guitar trio presented Serenatas de Arrabal.
  • The Sexteto Mayor, which together with Roxana Fontán, performed a repertoire with classic themes from all periods and compositions by contemporary authors.
  • The dancers María Nieves and Silvia Toscano, “La Cachorra”, met in a public talk in which María Nieves told the story of how she brought tango to the stage.
  • At the end, a tribute show to “Tango Argentino” was held, a show by Claudio Segovia and Héctor Orezzoli, which was decisive in the international recognition of tango. This tribute included exhibitions by important dancers such as Milena Plebs and Fernando Carrasco, Vanina Bilous and Javier Rodríguez, Guillermina Quiroga and Mariano Logiudice and Analía Morales and Gabriel Ponce. The general direction was in charge of Julio Zurita.
Dancing Tango at the Obelisk on Diagonal Norte street
The Obelisk on Diagonal Norte Street – The Tango BA Festival and Mundial 2021

And at the moment of the climax, a great emotion was experienced when Fernando Bravo finally announced the winners in each category, not to mention that the couple chosen by the public was awarded in celebration mode.

“The world champions to the couples formed by Agustín Agnez and Bárbara Ferreyra in Tango de Pista; and Emmanuel Casal and Yanina Muzyka in Stage Tango. ”

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many people could not be at this beautiful festival, so the organizers made a great gesture with all their followers and transmitted it live by streaming to the whole world on Vivamos Cultura and the Canal de la City with the conduction of the event was in charge of Carlitos Lin and the awards, in charge of Fernando Bravo, so that he would know how the event was going and they could enjoy it from the comfort and safety of their homes.

The winners of the Festival Tango BA and Mundial 2021- Photo
Tango BA Festival and World Cup 2021-
tango dance champions

If you want more details or videos of the event held:

  • Facebook: @FestivalesGCBA

Luigi Texidor el Negrito del Sabor

Luis Guillermo Texidor Ortiz, more commonly known as Luigi Texidor, was born on January 20 1935 in the Puerto Rican town of Santa Isabel, more precisely in Colonia Florida.

The town of Santa Isabel in Puerto Rico is located south of the island of enchantment and borders Cuamo to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the south, Juana Díaz to the west, and Salinas to the east.

He was orphaned as an early age, so upon reaching the legal age, he joined the Army of the United States of America.

On returning to Puerto Rico in 1956, he studied to be a professor at the Catholic University of Ponce.

In parallel, he began participating in various groups as a percussionist (he played the bongo).

It was in the Orquesta Hispana de Juana Díaz where he had the opportunity to sing for the first time.

Then, he joined Antonetti y su Combo, until he finally joined the group Papo Lucca y su Sonora Ponceña in 1963.

After the departure of Papo León, Luigi Texidor became the lead singer of the group.

Was born on January 20, 1935 in the Puerto Rican town of Santa Isabel, more precisely in Colonia Florida.
Luis Guillermo Texidor Ortiz, better known as Luigi Texidor

Between 1969 and 1977, he became the best-known voice of “La Ponceña” with the release of the LP Hacheros pa’ un palo and the albums Conquista Musical and El Gigante del Sur.

With this group, he made immortal songs such as “Fuego en el 23”, “Boranda”, “El Pío Pío”, “Bomba Carambomba”, “La Clave”, “Noche Como Boca’e Lobo”, among others.

It is noteworthy that in 1977, he participated in two albums by the Puertorican All-Stars, which is a group that brought the best Puerto Rican musicians and a sort of rival to the Fania All-Stars.

There he shared stages with Mario Ortiz, Andy Montañez, Paquito Guzmán, Lalo Rodríguez, Tito Allen and Gilberto Santa Rosa.

In 1978 he had to leave La Sonora Ponceña because of differences with singer Yolandita Rivera.

Luigi Texidor el Negrito del Sabor
Luigi Texidor el Negrito del Sabor

This motivated him to have outstanding participation in the orchestras of Tito Puente and Bobby Valentín (with whom he produced the song “Moreno soy”).

He also had a fleeting involvement in the record label Fania. It should be noted that he has always being one of the first salseros to qualify his verses with jocular and catchphrases.

In 1979 he launched solo and his best-known songs include “¿Quién trabajará?”, “Adiós don Gabino”, “Reina Negra”, “El llanto de las Flores” and “Tema de una Flor”, from the albums El Negrito del Sabor, El Caballero, Betún Negro and Sabroso.

Over the years, he made fleeting comebacks with La Sonora Ponceña, as part of the celebrations for its 40th and 45th anniversaries.

Luigi developed a very particular style for his soneos, highlighted by his fun style. With almost six decades of musical life, Texidor has forged a special place in the hearts of salseros. In the city of Medellín, lovers of good salsa have enjoyed the visit of the singer from the town of Santa Isabel on several occasions, the great Luis Guillermo Texidor Ortíz, “thank you, maestro, for all his music. This is a well-deserved tribute to one of the great Puerto Rican singers in our music”.

Luis Guillermo Texidor Ortiz, better known as Luigi Texidor
Luis Guillermo Texidor Ortiz, better known as Luigi Texidor

Today, very close to reaching the age of 80, he maintains good health. By his own admission, it is known that he does not smoke or try other substances harmful to his health.

Photo by Facebook: Luigi Texidor

Source: Frank Manuel Orellana Rosas

Article of Interest: Yolanda Rivera The Lady of Salsa and the Sonera of Ponce

Ray Santos ¨ The last of the Mambo Kings ¨

He was the last surviving member of the glory days of mambo preceding what we know today as salsa.

Ray Santos was a Latin musician, was born to Puerto Rican parents on December 28, 1928, in New York City, attended the Juilliard School of Music where he studied saxophone.

He was a Professor at the City University of New York (City College), where he teaches a Band or ¨performance¨ course.

Ray Santos ¨The last of the Mambo Kings¨

He was a musician in the orchestras of Machito, Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez. He was also was an arranger and musical director for recordings of Tommy Olivencia, Junior Toledo, Willie Rosario, Lalo Rodriguez, and Rudy Victorino and an Oscar winner in 1992, for the music of the film “The Mambo Kings” starring Armand.

Maestro Santos is a Puerto Rican man who has made significant contributions to Latin music as an arranger, bandleader, and musician.

Ray Santos was a Latin musician, born on December 28, 1928 in New York City to Puerto Rican parents.
Ray Santos ¨ The last of the Mambo Kings ¨

However, beyond the circles of mambo lovers and Latin music big bands of yesteryear, not much is known about his distinguished professional career in Puerto Rico.

Part of it, happens because of the nature of Ray Santos himself. This is a literate person but with an amiable and accessible character, totally devoid of vanity, presumption, or ostentation exhibited by other music personalities with attainments less than him.

For instance, unless he is asked directly, Ray Santos is not going to say that he participated with three arrangements on the compact disc “Palo Pa’ Rumba” CD of Eddie Palmieri, which received a Grammy Award from the Recording Academy in 1985.

Nor will he say that he also arranged for Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente on the CD “Obra Maestra” which received a Grammy Award in 2001.

For Linda Rondstat he wrote all the arrangements and was the conductor for her CD “Frenesí”, which received a Grammy Award in 1993.

He was a musician in the orchestras of Machito, Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez, also was as arranger and musical director for record productions of: Tommy Olivencia, Junior Toledo, Willie Rosario, Lalo Rodriguez and Rudy Victorino and winner of an Oscar Award in 1992, for the music of the movie "The Mambo Kings", protragonized by Armad.
Cynthia DeCure y Ray Santos

In the movie “Mambo Kings” he was a mambo director and arranger, including the arrangement of “Beautiful Maria of my Soul”, a song that was nominated for an “Oscar®” as “Best Song from a Motion Picture” at the 65th Academy Awards® of the Academy of Picture Arts and Sciences.

In other words, this is a person who has reached a seat of honor in the world of Latin music, is Puerto Rican, and is practically unknown by his countrymen.

On the one hand, the album “Mi Luz Mayor” celebrates the legacy of Machito, Puente, and Rodriguez. And on the other, The great contribution of Ray Santos to Afro-Caribbean dance music.

We would like to present the outstanding professional career of Maestro Ray Santos after he suffered a recent health problem.

Ray Santos y Eddie Palmieri
Ray Santos y Eddie Palmieri

Ray Santos passed away at his home died on October 17, 2019, at the age of 90.

Facebook: Ray Santos

Sources:

By Ewin Martinez Torre

[email protected]

Latin Heritage Contributor

San Juan – Puerto Rico

Jaime Torres Torres

National Foundation for Popular Culture

El eterno ‘swing’ de Ray Santos

Articles of Interest: Ralph Irrizary, a well-known percussionist, is considered one of the most “Swing” timbaleros in the world