Chucho Valdés: Irakere 40 American Tour Celebrates Legendary Afro-Cuban Jazz Band

 

Iconic Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Irakere, the seminal Afro-Cuban fusion band he founded in Havana with a North American tour. The final leg of the U.S. tour includes shows in New York, Boston, San Juan, Miami, Washington DC and Durham. Irakere revolutionized the jazz world with a groundbreaking fusion of Afro-Cuban ritual music, popular Afro-Cuban music styles, jazz and rock.

Chucho Valdés is touring with a ten-piece ensemble comprising his current band the Afro-Cuban Messengers expanded with three trumpets and two saxophones. Valdés repertoire showcases a colorful retrospective of his work during the past four decades. The program includes classics of Irakere´s repertoire such as “Misa Negra” “Estela Va A Estallar” (“Stella By Starlight”), ”Juana 1600,” and “Bacalao Con Pan,” as well as more recent compositions, originally performed with the Messengers, in new arrangements, such as “Yansa,” “Abdel” and “Lorena’s Tango.”

“In our first rehearsal of the old pieces with this band I cried,” says Chucho, who turned 74 on October 9. “When I decided to do a tribute to that marvelous band, I also decided I didn’t want to do it with the charter members but with players from the generations of musicians that grew up and learned from Irakere. I thought it would be more meaningful. It’s a tribute from one generation to another.”

Along with the U.S. tour, Chucho Valdés: Irakere 40 released Tribute to Irakere – Live at Marciac (Jazz Village/Harmonia Mundi) on October 20, 2015.

 

 

Chucho Valdés: Irakere 40 Lineup

Chucho Valdés (Piano)
Gastón Joya (Bass)
Rodney Barreto (Drums)
Yaroldy Abreu (Percussion)
Dreiser Durruthy Bombalé (Batás & Vocals)
Manuel Machado (Trumpet)
Reinaldo Melián (Trumpet)
Carlos Sarduy (Trumpet)
Ariel Bringuez (Tenor Sax)
Rafael Àguila (Alto Sax)

Chucho Valdés: Irakere 40 – 2015 Tour

Tues, Nov 10 – New York, NY, The Town Hall
Thurs, Nov 12 – Boston, MA, Berklee Performance Center
Fri, Nov 13 -San Juan, PR, Centro de Bellas Artes
Sat,Nov 14 – Miami Beach, FL, Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater
Sun, Nov 15 – Bethesda, MD, The Music Center at Strathmore
Mon,Nov 16 – Durham, NC, Duke Performances at Page Auditorium