Chucho Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers performed at the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall on Tuesday, October 19th.
Hailed as “one of the world’s greatest virtuosic pianists” by The New York Times, perennial Grammy Award winner Chucho Valdés has recorded over eighty CDs and performed with countless jazz masters. In his first US tour in eight years, he appeared at the FAC with the fabled Afro-Cuban Messengers.
Chucho’s music is deeply influenced by the African spritual rites that thrive to this day in Cuba. Chucho is himself a devotee of the Santeria pantheon: Chango, Babalu-Aye, and others. Many—if not most—of the vocals you’ll hear during a Chucho performance are in the Congolese Lucumí language, straight from Dahomey, Côte d’Ivoire, and elsewhere in west Africa. And in the midsts of these paens to African Orisha spirits you’re likely to hear snatches of Brahms and other classical composers. Chucho represents the main streams of influence in Cuban music: the African and the European, and his be-bop background is well attested in recordings with Dizzy Gillespie and others. He’s truly an eclectic musical treasure.
If you attended the show and want to hear more of Chucho’s fire-eating, classically-tinged technique, check out this amazing video. (Buried in this incandescently played Cuban son [a rural song form] is C.P.E. Bach’s Solfeggietto!) And this video of Chucho’s duet with his father Bebo playing a traditional Carnival tune titled “La Comparsa” is priceless.
Says All About Jazz, “he can [play] with the soft grace of Bill Evans and dazzle with the thunderous dexterity of Art Tatum.”
The concert was amazing! Chucho effortlessly moved between different styles and genres, and the entire band was incredible. I especially enjoyed the rhythmic interplay between the set, congas, batas, and piano. The entire evening felt like a super-human experience.
Great concert. Loved the ensemble work the best–a wall of wonderful complex sound!
A fantastic concert. I was especially impressed with Chucho’s sister — I wish she had been featured on more than one song.
Amazing, as always. One (constructive) observation, the PA system handling did not make justice to the quality of the music. Only around half way the concert you were be able to clearly hear and distinguish the horns, as well as all the elegant nuances and patterns being played by the three percussion players. The bass ( excellent bass player) was almost inaudible. A sound engineer, beyond technical expertise, needs to be acquainted with the music he is going to be amplifying. If you don’t know how a Bata drum should sound, and how in general every instrument should sound in relation to the others ( not only volume but timbre too) within a particular style of music, well the music will suffer. It’s like not having adequate light when looking at a great painting and on top of that wearing sun glasses. I mean no disrespect to anybody, including the sound engineer who I would say was very dedicated through the night until he got to a very descent sound setting. Too bad it only happen way into the concert. Otherwise, my sincere congratulations to everybody involved in bringing hi quality Latin American cultural acts.
It was so fun to see a group of people who not only are extremely talented musicians, but also are proficient enough to have a natural fluidity to the music create together. The playfulness and sense of humor of the musicians made seeing them live an experience one could never get from just listening to a recording. It was evident they enjoy playing together as a group, which made the entire experience all the better for us listeners! I don’t know how many times (many!) my jaw dropped at the talent on the stage. See them if you haven’t!
A truly fabulous concert. More, more, more.
Chucho Valdés ‘ concert was a breath of fresh air after a long busy day! I was amazed by the breath of the skills of his band members (instrumental and vocal). Adding to my delight was the ability to introduce a several students and staff to the girth of the rich diveristy in artistry that our campus has to offer. Thank you for a terrific evening!
It is amazing to be in the presence of true genius, and we experienced that at this concert. Valdes’s virtuosity was breathtaking, but this man has so much more than musical skill. He commands the piano and brings a world of music to his Afro Latin jazz. And he has put together a band of virtuosos that continued to take us to wonderful places. It was an absolutely fabulous night!!!
One of the best jazz concerts I have ever attended, and I’ve been to many over the years! It had me singing all the way home. Please include more jazz in future programming, especially these legends of the genre.
Amazing! Yes! Wonderful! I would come back for more. Great musicians, great variety of material, and rhythms that astonish and replenish.
\WOW!\ is probably the best word I have now to describe what I felt at the concert. I had never seen Chucho before and I am so glad I was there. I could totally relate to the African influences and the tributes to the Orishas in the songs. The guy in the drums rocks!! Êparrei Shango!