Oscar Valdes, the commanding, charismatic vocalist, master percussionist and co-founder with Chucho Valdes of the Cuban Grammy Award winning supergroup Irakere died on Thursday, October 19 at the age of 85. Valdes has been recognized as a major talent since he was a child. Valdés Campos was born in Havana in 1937, a member of a family of renowned musicians that included his father Oscar, a percussionist and his uncle Marcelino who also was a percussionist. His other uncles Vicentico and Alfredo were renowned vocalists who also influenced Valdes.
In 1949, Valdes started his studies of the bata drums, the construction of the abakuá drums and the chekeres. Young Oscar mastered the timbales and later joined the Rebel Army Group and the orchestras CMQ, ICRT, the Beny Moré band and the Cubana De Musica Moderna Group. Valdes also sang and developed into a powerhouse of a vocalist who could sing soneos, scat, rap and then chant in Yorubá with ease. When Irakere was founded in 1972 under the direction of Chucho Valdes, Oscar was a co-founder as well as a dynamic lead singer and percussionist who brought his exceptional virtuosity and knowledge of the African and Cuban folklore and drumming to the group.
The Cuban government recognized that rock and jazz was not being exposed and that they needed to appeal to young people. They wanted a youthful orchestra that played “Musica moderna”. With their mixture of rock, funk, jazz, son, afro-cuban religious folklore: Yoruba, Abakua and Arata, Irakere conquered the music world with their jazzy danceable fusion played by young virtuosos. Oscar Valdes became an iconic star by his dynamic vocal style which catapulted songs such as “Bacalao Con Pan”, “Xiomara”:, “Dile A Catalina”, “A Romper El Coco” and “Rucu Rucu A Santa Clara” into such classic hits and framed their experimental and adventurous material such as “Misa Negra”. Irakere became popular stars both in Cuba and worldwide. They won the Grammy Award and recorded for Colombia Records. However, it wasn’t enough for the group to be allowed to re-enter the US to attend the Grammy award ceremonies because of the US restrictions on Cuban artists.
I was fortunate to catch Irakere in 1990 at the club “New Morning” in Paris, France. The band at that time included the original core of Chucho on piano, Oscar on vocals and Cuban percussion, guitarist Carlos Emilio Morales, bassist Carlos De Puerto, drummer Enrique Pla along with conga legend Miguel Anga Diaz, flautist/keyboardist Orlando Maraca Valle and the horn section which included saxophonist Cesar Lopez, trumpeter Juan Muncia and saxophonist German Velasco, What a treat for the mind and ears to listen to the virtuosos of Irakere perform along with the tremendous vocal of Oscar Valdes at the club. Irakere played with such precision, swing and improvisation on a high level that connected with the audience at a profound way.
Valdes stayed with the group until 1993 when he left to play with his sons Diego who played bass and Oscarito who played drums until he founded the Diákara band in 2000. Diákara played an Afrocuban partly traditional religious repertoire which Oscar wanted to perform live. Oscar Valdes will be remembered as a multi faceted giant of Cuban music who is still a major influence.
Music News: Another Cuban legend, the iconic Omara Portuondo is playing a sold out show at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley tonight on her “Vida” tour which is promoting her latest recording . Rumors are that this may be her last international tour and possibly her last SF Bay Area visit. Consider yourself lucky if you have a ticket to tonight’s show. Portuondo was apart of the Buena Vista Social Club phenomena when they appeared on the scene in the 1990’s…..Another new Cuban act on the scene. The vocalist/flautist La Dama Blanche will be appearing at The New Parish in Oakland on Wednesday, November 8th. This show brought to you by Jaffe Events…..
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