Chucho Valdes
Chucho Valdés
With The Afro-Cuban Messengers
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“Whether Chucho Valdés is performing a gentle ballad or a rousing foot-stomper,
his joy in playing and his love of the music always shines through. He can tickle the ivories with the soft grace of Bill Evans and dazzle with the thunderous dexterity
of Art Tatum or Oscar Peterson.” – All About Jazz
Hailed as “the dean of Latin jazz” and “one of the world’s great virtuosic pianists” by The New York Times, multi-Grammy Award winner Chucho Valdés has recorded over eighty CD’s during his illustrious career, performing with countless jazz masters, including Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis and Chick Corea.
Founder of the rhythmically innovative Latin jazz band Irakere ,
Valdés has appeared on the distinguished stages of
Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center and The Hollywood Bowl.
PRIZES AND RECOGNITION
Among others distinctions and recognitions he has received:
- HONORARY DOCTORATE at VICTORIA UNIVERSITY in CANADA 1997.
- “FELIX VARELA ORDER” of FIRST GRADE for artistic merits, given by the STATE COUNCIL of the Republic of Cuba, 1998.
- HONORARY DOCTORATE in ARTS, year 2000, awarded by INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE ARTE OF HAVANA.
- DISTINCTION TO PEDAGOGIC MERIT in 2001, awarded by INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE ARTE OF HAVANA.
- NATIONAL CUBAN MUSIC AWARD (shared with Leo Brouwer) in its first edition, 2000.
- Inducted intot he LATIN JAZZ HALL OF FAME in LOS ANGELES, in a ceremony with TITO PUENTE, EDDIE PALMIERI and LALO SHIFFRIN in 2000.
- MUSIC AWARD in SPAIN in JAZZ CATEGORY, 2009 for the CD “Juntos para siempre”, recorded with his father BEBO VALDÉS under label Calle 54 RECORDS.
- He has received the Keys to the City in Ponce (Puerto Rico), Los Ángeles and San Francisco, CA, NEW Orleáns, LA, Madison, WI and most recently in PANAMA CITY in January 2009.
