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Steffen Kuehn and Christian Tumalan talk about their musical roots and orchestra

Preamble

This time, we are going to talk with German producer, arranger, composer and trumpet player Steffen Kuehn and Mexican bandleader, composer and musician Christian Tumalan. Both are at the head of the Pacific Mambo Orchestra and share the role of co-executive director of Pacific Mambo LLC and Pacific Mambo Records. Also, each has his own record label and separate musical achievements, but unify their skills to make the group they have in common one of the best in the United States.

Both expressed their points view about the orchestra, the work they do in it and what each one has done in music in general. These views reveal that quality, professionalism and adaptability are the main values on which the orchestra they lead is based.

Steffen Kuehn at the Tempo Latino Festival in France

A bit of Steffen’s story

The start of the conversation focused on the beginnings of Steffen Kuehn, who ackowledges having been a musician all his life, since he started playing the trumpet when he was just eight years old. He attended the University of North Texas to start his formal music education and learned to arrange music, compose and specialize more in the trumpet. He now focuses on is teaching trumpet, playing for the orchestra, arranging, selling music for television and movies, among other activities (all have to do with music).

When we talk about his written publications, he mentioned a instruction book to help beginners to play the trumpet some years ago. Today, He is working on a second book and a new record production. What he has planned for Pacific Mambo is to make about 10 songs for its new album, of which two have already been made.

Christian’s musical background

Christian told us a bit about his musical training and confirmed that he studied piano for more than 10 years. He has also played piano since the age of 14 when he was in high school and started much more formal musical training at the age of 15. It can be said that he was already an expert at playing both instruments after a decade of much dedication and practice.

When asked about his roots in jazz, he commented to us that almost all jazz musicians have some training in classical music and direct access to technical elements with the instruments. His goal in learning about classical music was not to become a performer dedicated only to that style, but to gain as much knowledge as possible about music in general and to improve his piano skills.

How do you apply German and Mexican heritage to the music of the orchestra?

As for this interesting subject, both artists pointed out that polka music and Mexican banda music were very similar in terms of sounds and instrumentation used for both. In Steffen’s case, he was always very interested in going to the United States to learn and study about jazz, how and where it originated. He comments that, if he had wanted to study classical music, the best places would have been Germany, France and Italy, as many of its greatest exponents come from there.

Both Christian and I went to the root of how the jazz movement started, how it originated and developed over the years. However, I studied Latin music here in the United States and my Colombian roommate at the time explained to me a lot of things and introduced me to a lot of Latin rhythms I have ever heard before,” said Kuehn.

They both started to introduce jazz and this knowledge to the music of the orchestra. About this, Christian said that the mixture of rhythms was like ”a battle of entities” in which they were looking for what works and what does not work, since not everything can be mixed. ”What I usually do is combine my knowledge in classical music with my own Big Band arrangements,” Christian said.

”The fact that we have musicians from various countries in Europe and Latin America has helped us a lot to see different perspectives. Also, due to the number of musicians we are, we can play in different styles that other groups cannot” added Steffen.

Christian Tumalan and Steffen Kuehn during an interview with Jesse Chuy Varela

Skills they look for in their musicians

Steffen pointed out that the first thing they look for in their musicians is the chemistry we can have with them. In this sense, he mentioned that he has met excellent musicians with whom he does not get along with at all, which makes the work environment very heavy. Therefore, he does not take them into consideration for the orchestra because, if there is no chemistry and an atmosphere of respect, everything else does not work.

Another thing that the performer considers important is the spirituality of music, which many times is not attained by all musicians. When a musician opens up to the spirituality of the music, that’s when the magic happens and the chemistry hits us. We are very fortunate to have so many musicians who share this feeling and have reached that point as we have,” he added.

How do you share roles in the orchestra?

Christian commented that both he and Steffen were very good in different areas separately. Steffen has a quite charismatic way of communicating with people and knows how to earn the respect of others very quickly, while I focus more on the technical and musical aspects of the group. I think that complements us very well”. He also said that the German was very good with information and details such as tours, hotels, flights, names, taxes, among other things.

When Steffen’s came to talk about his partner, he said that he knew a lot about everything to do with music technology, stage direction, tempos, editing, mixing, video, audio and many other things. He confesses that he is unable to do many of these things, so they are left to Christian.

Multi-Percussionist Carlos Navarro and his Son Y Clave Orchestra

Who is Carlos Navarro?

There have been many celebrities, orchestras, groups of all genres who played their part in the salsa cultural movement in the United States, but we cannot deny that bandleader Carlos Navarro and his Son Y Clave Orchestra played a very important role, since they achieved many goals in the Latin music scene in California, specifically in Los Angeles.

Carlos Navarro was a child of the couple formed by Rafael Navarro and Maria De Jesus Velasquez de Navarro, being at the same time the brother of Alexis Enrique (the famous singer Cherry Navarro), Manuel, Rene, Lelys and Audy. The whole family decided to move to Caracas, the parish of El Valle, where all the children continued their studies.

The first one to start an artistic career at a very young age was his older brother Alexis, who would later be known as Cherry Navarro in the artistic field. Carlos followed the same steps and also dedicates himself to music, but focused on salsa, mambo, merengue, and Latin jazz.

Producer, bandleader, percussionist and singer Carlos Navarro

Las Versalles

In the early 80’s, specifically in 1983, the artist served as co-founder and percussionist in one of the first and most important orchestras in Los Angeles, California, with styles of Salsa, Guaguancó, Merengue, cha cha chá, and Latin Jazz.

This group was called Las Versalles and hired many musicians based in the same city. Here you can see some of the main members and their instruments, Güiro: Carlos Navarro and Jorge Luis Balmaseda, Vocalist, Piano, Arranger: Fito Foster, Vocalist, Guitar, Flute, and Arrangements: Niño Jesús, Bass: Geraldo Zuldo and Luis López, Trumpets: Carleton Smith and Robert Hernández, Trombo: Arturo Velazco, Violin: Gene Hugo, Congas: Humberto Hernández and José “Papo” Rodríguez, Timbales: Héctor Andrade and Edwin Rolland, Backing Vocals: Fitto Foster, Niño Jesús, Bobby Rivas, Jorge Luis Balmaseda and Bass in ‘’Cama Y Mesa’’: Cuco.

Famous singer Cherry Navarro, Carlos Navarro's brother — Famous singer Cherry Navarro, Carlos Navarro’s brother

Son Y Clave

In 1999, the producer, percussionist and singer founded the Son Y Clave Orchestra and became a very important group in the nightlife of Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

One of the most attractive things for spectators of the places where they perform is the ease with which they dance and execute choreography, which are highly contagious, fast and elegant at the same time.

This diversity of performance styles is another one of the many things that has led this orchestra to the summit. In the same way, they have participated in all kinds of festivals, congresses, concerts and much more. They also had an important participation in salsa nights at venues in Los Angeles and the Bay Area such as El Floridita, where they played with Son Y Clave every Monday, until Carlos had to leave for a while and left talented musician Johnny Polanco in charge.

They have been so popular in the last few years that they have managed to open for world famous bands such as the Rolling Stones, who counted on the talent of the orchestra to grace their performances in one of their most important tours.

All members of the Son Y Clave Orchestra

God & Salsa and more

They have also been involved in major film projects such as ”Almost A Woman”, whose director has a long-standing friendship with Navarro. They participated in both the promotional trailer and various parts of the film, especially where there are parties and dancing.

Kaplan was so pleased with Carlos’ work in ”Almost A Woman” that she decided to contact him again to work hand in hand on a project titled ”UNO” which is based on one of the most famous Latin American TV hosts, the famous Renny Ottolina. Once again, Son Y Clave will join forces with the renowned filmmaker to put music to ”UNO”.

”Almost A Woman” had a lot of repercussion at the time, but the film for which they became known in recent years was ”God & Salsa”. Carlos Navarro himself was the main responsible for composing much of the original music that was part of the soundtrack of the film. In addition, they were also present at the filming, displaying their great talent and dedication to the audience.

Currently, Navarro has a lot of contacts, friendships and dealings with other figures and producers of the stature of classical guitarist Yalil Guerra, with whom he has participated in multiple musical projects both with his orchestra and at the production level.

He has also shared the stage with important talents in Los Angeles such as Tito Nieves, Luis Barbarán, Guillermo Canales, Ernie Valenzuela, Melissa Campos, Roosevelt Córdova, among many others.

Carlos Navarro, Luis Conte, Jorge Valmaceda, and the rest of the Siva Orchestra

La Sonora Matancera musical congregation of long trajectory and its sound quality, is one of the most popular in the Caribbean island “Cuba”

It was founded in Matanzas in 1924 under the name of La Tuna Liberal.

Its first members were: Valentín Cané, director and tres player, Manuel Valera, guitar and second voice, Manuel Sánchez (Jimagua), timbal, Ismael Governa, cornetín, Pablo Vázquez Govín (Bubú), double bass, Domingo Medina, guitar, Ismael Goberna, cornetín, Julio Govín, guitar, José Manuel Valera, guitar, Juan Bautista Llopis, guitar.

In 1926 Carlos Manuel Díaz Alfonso (Caíto), falsetto voice and maracas, and Rogelio Martínez Díaz (El Gallego), guitar, joined the group and it adopted the name Sexteto Soprano.

On January 12, 1927, under the name of Estudiantina Sonora Matancera, they moved to Havana. In November of that year they recorded their first two recordings for the Victor label: Fuera, fuera, chino, by José Manuel Valera, and El porqué de tus ojos, by Valentín Cané.

With the definitive name of Conjunto Sonora Matancera, it began its transmissions on the radio station El Progreso Cubano (later Radio Progreso). At that time it appeared on Radio Atwater Kent; in 1932, at the suggestion of Rogelio Martínez Díaz, it took the name of Sonora Matancera, and began its performances in the Havana Sport dance academies, and later in Marte and Belona, and later became part of the cast of CMQ Radio. In 1935, trumpeter Calixto Leicea joined the group; in 1939, composer, pianist and orchestrator Severino Ramos, who gave the Sonora its distinctive sound with his orchestrations.

La Sonora Matancera congregación musical de larga trayectoria y su calidad sonora, es una de las más populares en la isla caribeña “Cuba”

In 1944 pianist Lino Frias and trumpeter Pedro Knight Caraballo joined the group, who with Calixto Leicea formed the most interesting trumpet duo in the history of Cuban ensembles; in 1945 singer Bienvenido Granda Aguilera; in 1948, Angel Alfonso Furias (Yiyo), tumbadora. At this time the Sonora Matancera was formed by Rogelio Martínez Díaz, director, guitarist and chorus; Pablo Vázquez Govín (Bubú), double bass; José del Rosario Chávez (Manteca), timbal; Ángel Alfonso Furias (Yiyo), tumbadora, who replaced Valentín Cané; Calixto Leicea, first trumpet; Pedro Knight Caraballo, second trumpet; Lino Frías, pianist; Carlos Manuel Díaz Alfonso (Caíto), falsetto voice and maracas; Bienvenido Granda, singer and claves; and Celia Cruz, who soon became the stellar singer we knew and the mainstay of the Sonora Matancera hits. Thus began a period that critics have called the golden age of the Sonora.

In 1950, with the advent of television, the Sonora Matancera was one of the first musical groups to perform on this medium. It also signed a contract with the Seeco record company, with whose recordings it made a name for itself in the international market. In 1952, Raimundo Elpidio Vázquez replaced his father, Pablo Vázquez, on double bass (when Rogelio Martínez Díaz died in 2001, he took over the leadership of the group).

In 1926, it changed its name to “Septeto Soprano”. That same year, Carlos M. Díaz “Caíto” accompanied Eugenio Pérez in the choir.

Later in 1927, on Caíto’s recommendation, Rogelio Martínez joined the group and the name of the group was changed to Estudiantina Sonora Matancera.

With a great desire to improve the group travels to Havana where they get in touch with the record company “RCA Victor” and make their first recording on January 12, 1928.

At the beginning of the thirties, the group began to adapt to the new rhythms that were appearing at that time as well as adapting new instruments, such as the grand piano, which was played for the first time in the group by Dámaso Pérez Prado, who years later would become the “King of the Mambo”.

But it was in 1935 when the group took the name La Sonora Matancera, and with this change it introduced a new trumpet player: Calixto Leicea, who replaced Ismael Goberna, who died a few months later due to health problems.

The unforgettable José Rosario Chávez “Manteca”, who replaced the resigned “Jimagua”, also joined the band. Humberto Cané joined the group playing the tres and his father Valentín Cané began playing the tumbadora.

In 1938, Dámaso Pérez Prado retired and left the vacant piano position to Severino Ramos, who soon after became the musical arranger of the group.

During the first years of the forties they made presentations in dance academies, cabarets and in Radio Progreso Cubano, they also included in their repertoire: guarachas, montunos.

On January 6, 1944, two musicians from Arsenio Rodriguez’s group joined the group: Lino Frias (author of the popular song Mata Siguaraya) who began to play the piano and Pedro Knight who became the second trumpet player of the Sonora Matancera.

In the month of December, Bienvenido Granda enters the band recommended as vocalist, being his first recording “La Ola Marina” by Virgilio González, and with him they sign a contract with the nascent record label Panart Records. Valentín Cané, Israel del Pino, Caíto and Humberto Cané made recordings with this label.

In the middle of 1946 the founder Valentín Cané suffers asthmatic problems that force him to leave the group, dying two years later. Before the group joined Panart Records, it recorded other songs for the “Varsity” label, without the name of the Sonora Matancera appearing on the labels, here the first version of “Se Formó la Rumbantela” by Pablo Cairo, “Tumba Colorá”, “El Cinto De Mi Sombrero”, Bienvenido Granda and Humberto Cané participated in these numbers.

El Regreo de La Sonora Matancera 2022 2023

Members

Trumpets: Calixto Leicea and Pedro Knight

Double Bass: Elpidio Vázquez, replacing his father Pablo Vázquez, “Bubu”.

Piano: Lino Frías

Timbales, Bongó and Campana: José Rosario Chávez “Manteca” Chávez

Tumbadora: Ángel Alfonso Furias “Yiyo”.

Guitar and Choir: Rogelio Martínez

Maracas and Chorus: Carlos Díaz Alonso “Caíto”.

Claves and Choir: Bienvenido Granda.

Last January 13, 2023 they turned 99 years old and are still going strong from generation to generation.

Source:

Enrrique “Culebra” Iriarte, Venezuelan pianist, arranger and orchestra conductor.

Bibliography: Ecured Cuba

La Sonora Matancera

You can read: Carlos “Patato” Valdés one of the best percussionists in the history of Latin Jazz

Carlos “Patato” Valdés one of the best percussionists in the history of Latin Jazz.

On November 4, 1926 in the Los Sitios neighborhood of Havana, Cuba, Carlos “Patato” Valdés was born. Known as Patato, he is, quite simply, one of the best percussionists in the history of music.

Patato was born into a very santera and very musical family, his father was a tres player of Los Apaches, the port germ of two illustrious sonera groups: the Sexteto Habanero and the Sexteto Nacional.

He learned to play the tres and the botijuela before turning to percussion, first on the cajones and finally on the congas.

He was an extraordinary percussionist of outstanding participation with the “Conjunto Kubavana”, “La Sonora Matancera”, “Conjunto Casino” and the “Orquesta de Tito Puente”, among other groups, both Son and Latin Jazz.

Formed in rumbero gatherings and carnival groups, Valdés became a professional in the early forties, after trying his luck as a boxer and dancer.

Carlos “Patato” Valdés uno de los mejores percusionistas en la historia del Jazz Latino

He played with Conjunto Kubavana, La Sonora Matancera and El Conjunto Casino. He accumulated nicknames: Zumbito (for his performances at the Zombie Club), Pingüino (for a dance he did on television) and Patato (for his small size), and in those days, dedicating oneself to music in Cuba guaranteed hardship. Besides, Patato wanted to experiment and that was not possible playing for dancers or tourists.

In 1954, he emigrated to New York, like his leather friends: Cándido Camero, Armando Peraza, Mongo Santamaría and the pioneer Chano Pozo (murdered there in 1948).

He immediately began working with Tito Puente. His first recording in the United States was the album Afro-cuban, by trumpeter Kenny Dorham, which opened with the intoxicating Afrodisia. Those were good times for tropical music.

He was the first percussionist to improvise “Solos” with 3 or more Congas at the same time. In addition, he was the creator of the “Congas Afinables”, instruments on which he would ride to dance making them sound rhythmically.

Patato Valdes was an excellent musician, an unforgettable person. Nervous and diminutive, he spoke with an impenetrable Cuban accent; he dressed elegantly, hiding the necklaces and bracelets of Changó and other “orishas”. He looked like a living caricature, but when he hit the percussions he became a divine creature: he had power, spectacularity, sense of melody.

Those skills made him an ambassador of Afro-Cuban rhythms in the jazz world, although he will also go down in history for his extraordinary rumba recordings.

In 1956, Patato appeared in the film Y Dios creó a la mujer, teaching the dances of his homeland to Brigitte Bardot. A great moment, although an implacable Guillermo Cabrera Infante criticized the actress’s movements: “she seems to commit suicide by dancing a cross between mambo and chachachá, a really toxic cross between mambo and chachachá”.

A flexible musician, Valdés sounded as comfortable playing with Machito’s big band as with Herbie Mann’s group. However, he felt indebted to the “rumba de solar” and in 1968 he recorded a revolutionary album with his friend Eugenio Arango, alias Totico.

The exuberant Patato & Totico had genuine Havana flavor, but enriched the basic percussion instrumentation with Cachao’s contrabass and Arsenio Rodriguez’s tres.Patato expanded the creative possibilities for percussionists by playing with three or more congas.

He also made their lives easier by developing a tunable conga: fed up with the traditional method (heating the leather over fire), he installed a metal hoop and keys for tensioning.

Carlos "Patato" Valdés — Carlos “Patato” Valdés

The LP company mass-produced his model, which was to become the standard for conga players. To promote it, he formed the Latin Percussion Jazz Ensemble with Tito Puente, Jorge Dalto and Alfredo de la Fé, among others, an orchestra that would end up becoming Puente’s big band in the early 80s.

It was during this period with Dalto that the album we have chosen for today began to take shape. It was titled “Patato, Master Piece” and it synthesizes all of Patato’s genius.

“Masterpiece” is an album that travels first class through tango, jazz, descarga, guaguancó and bolero, always in a masterful way and with a luxury crew made up of names like Jorge Dalto, Artie Webb, Michel Camilo, Jerry and Andy González, Nicky Marrero, Ignacio Berroa, Joe Santiago, Néstor Sánchez, Vicentino Valdés, and Sabú Martínez, among others.

The Art of Flavor.

Unfortunately Dalto had already passed away when in 1993 the project was released by the venerable German label Messidor, the same label that had already financed some impressive sessions of Patato with Mario Bauzá or Bebo Valdés, with whom he would later record the famous El Arte del Sabor.

In fact, the great Argentine pianist had to be replaced for the last recording sessions that were made 6 years ago since his illness was too advanced, but he left us some incredible arrangements that were kept in the great majority of the themes.

Dalto left us in 1987 when he was only 39 years old. His replacement was nothing more and nothing less than a very young Michel Camilo.formed by 9 cuts among which we especially want to highlight the huge versions of Cute and Nica’s Dream, Masterpiece is an essential album for all lovers of Latin-jazz with capital letters and that is why we wanted to share it on a day as special as today.

Already recognized as a legend, Patato became more visible in the last 25 years: he had his own band, Afrojazzia, although The Conga Kings, with Cándido and Giovanni Hidalgo, turned out to be more popular.

The Conga Kings Giovanni Hidalgo, Cándido Camero y Patato Valdez

He even made his way onto the modern dance floors, with a remix of San Francisco tiene su propio son. Just as he was returning from playing in California with the Conga Kings, his breathing began to fail.

The plane he was on had to make an emergency landing in Ohio to admit him to a hospital. The 81-year-old percussionist, a heavy smoker, was on his way to his beloved New York, but he would never get there. According to his relatives, he held out until December 4, the day of Santa Barbara, the Afro-Cuban equivalent of Changó, when the cables and tubes that kept him alive were removed.

Valdés died in Cleveland, USA, on December 4, 2007.

Fuentes: http://www.herencialatina.com/Patato/Patato_Valdes.htm

Imágenes: Martin Cohen de Congahead.com

Carlos “Patato” Valdés

You can read: Irakere was a Cuban group that developed an important work in Cuban popular music and Latin Jazz under the direction of Chucho Valdés

Irakere was a Cuban group that developed an important work in Cuban popular music and Latin Jazz under the direction of Chucho Valdés

Irakere was formed as such in 1967 but had begun to work much earlier; in that year precisely they went to a selection called in Havana to organize with the best musicians of that time the Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music; already in 1972 they were approaching to what they currently produce deciding in 1973 to call it Irakere, which in Yoruba language means Vegetation and that is how, starting from its name, they work based on the Afro-Cuban musical roots.

In this way, through the combination, mixture and interrelation of classical, impressionism, jazz, rock and various compositional techniques they managed to walk through all styles such as dance music, concert, traditional and popular Cuban music.

Thanks to the impulse of pianist Chucho Valdés, the Cuban group Irakere took off in 1973, nourished by Thelonious Monk’s bop.

Founders

Grupo Irakere: It was founded in Havana in 1973, by:

Jesús Valdés(Chucho) composer, director and pianist;

Paquito D’Rivera (Paquito), alto and tenor saxophone, flute and clarinet;

Carlos Averhoff, tenor saxophone, soprano, flute and bass clarinet;

Jorge Varona, trumpet, trombone and percussion;

Carlos del Puerto, bass, bass guitar and tuba;

Carlos Emilio Morales, guitar;

Bernardo García, drums and batá drums;

Jorge Alfonso, batá drums;

Enrique Plá, drums;

Carlos Barbón, güiro, chekeré and tambourine; and

Oscar Valdés, singer, tumbadora (conga), batá drums and bongo.

Irakere, fue un grupo cubano que desarrolló un importante trabajo en la música popular cubana y el Jazz Latino

On the founding of Irakere, Chucho Valdés expressed:

“For us the group always existed, it was present at all times; it was like something pending. At the beginning it had no name, it was just an idea we were working on: to use Cuban folkloric percussion in dance music, and to look for different timbres with a common characteristic: “ours”.

Then Oscar Valdés came up with the idea of combining the not easy and little known batá drum with the tumbadora, güiro and cowbell and so, step by step we arrived at the current group…”.

About Irakere’s first stage, the musicologist Leonardo Acosta points out: “one of the successes of Irakere had been not to try to invent and identify itself with a “new rhythm”, according to the old guidelines of advertising so much used from the forties to the sixties.

The slogan about the “new rhythm” was until recently the “open sesame” on which the musicians counted to become famous overnight, and by that way sometimes quite commercial results were achieved.

Apart from the fact that no “new rhythm” is so new, they all come from the alteration or amalgamation of pre-existing rhythms.

Irakere’s only alchemy comes from the spontaneous creativity of its members. Since there is no commercial endeavor, laboratory practices are unnecessary, and the group can perform a contradanza, a danzón, a son montuno or a cha cha chá without fear of seeming “old-fashioned”, since they are in fact playing something else at the same time. And without setting themselves the goal, nor having to invent a “pega” name, almost by an imperative of the material they are working on, new rhythmic combinations are emerging, to the point that Irakere’s rhythm is unmistakable among Cuban listeners or dancers.

Certainly, and in spite of their triumphs in international jazz festivals, Irakere is not a jazz group. But these successes are not gratuitous either, because as we have seen, they have formidable musicians with great experience in the jazz field, especially in the aspect of improvisation, the great discovery of jazz and perhaps its greatest contribution to the music of the 20th century.

“Paquito D’Rivera: Irakere was born against the will of the Cuban authorities”.

When talking about Cuban music, the name of one of the most emblematic groups in the country’s musical history comes to mind, Irakere, which in Yoruba language means vegetation, jungle.

Irakere became the seed that would germinate a lush forest of rhythms and sounds, a school through which many of the great stars of Cuban music have paraded.

Founded more than four decades ago, this legendary band has been a pioneer of Afro-Cuban jazz and the initiator of the musical revolution in the seventies.

Gracias al impulso del pianista Chucho Valdés, el grupo cubano Irakere levantó vuelo en 1973

Irakere emerged at a time when, due to political demands on the island, music and culture were treated as an instrument of revolutionary identification and jazz was branded as imperialist music.

It was at this time, in the late sixties and early seventies, that a group of great musicians founded a band whose main goal was to enrich Cuban popular dance music with Latin jazz as essential elements.

Under the direction of the outstanding pianist Jesús “Chucho” Valdés, excellent musicians came together in search of a different sonority, based on the use of Afro-Cuban folkloric percussion together with the renewed timbres of the popular rhythms of the time that fused jazz, rock, funk and popular Cuban rhythms such as son, mambo or cha cha chá, together with classical or concert music.

“Irakere was the Musical Generation of change”.

Sources:

https://www.ecured.cu/Irakere

Leonardo Acosta

Radio Televisión Marti

Mirna Guerra

Irakere

You can read: Israel Kantor was an excellent bassist, arranger and composer who achieved great popularity in Cuba for his vocal technique and original “Sonear” style