Bebo and Chucho Valdés: father and son celebrating their birthday today

October 9, 2020

The musical bonds of Bebo and Chucho Valdés begin with the arrival of both into this world, as they were born on the same date, October 9th, only one in 1918 and the other in 1941, and in the same place, the picturesque town of Quivicán, current province of Mayabeque. The rest has been taken care of by an instrument as universal and unsurpassed as the piano, where their ambitions, concerns and innovations have converged in a surprising way.

These four blessed hands to transform and enrich the sonic register of the island have managed to treasure one of the most enduring patrimonies of our identity. The two musicians understood that the true strength and reach of their creations should be based on questions such as Who are we? And Where do our gifts come from?

What is complex, and truly exceptional, is transforming the answers to such questions into music of so many aesthetic values capable of dialoguing with the public from any part of the planet and of opening new and fertile paths for contemporary culture.

About Bebo…
If we start with Bebo, also known as the wizard of Cuban rhythms; we discover that among his merits stands out being one of the great precursors of jazz-afrocubano; and having created his own rhythm known as La Batanga, which in the nineteen fifties achieved extraordinary success. Already in the forties he had composed some notable mambos such as La rareza del siglo. He worked for more than a decade at the famous Cabaret Tropicana; and participated in countless jazz jam sessions; as well as in recordings and performances of international stars such as Lucho Gatica and Nat King Cole.

During 1960, in the middle of a tour, he settled in Sweden, being apart from musical activity for around three decades; it was in 1994 due to the insistence of his friend Paquito D'Rivera, that he decided to make the album Bebo Rides Again. Incredibly the 21st century, already at an advanced age, would bring him the greatest successes of his career; the producer and filmmaker Fernando Trueba appeared in his life with whom he records eight albums and participates in four films.

About Chucho…
Regarding his son Chucho we have had the privilege of enjoying time and again the immense gift of his talent. The glorious years of Irakere and Misa Negra. From Bebo he inherited too many things among them mastery; a great breadth in his sonic concepts; the splendid mixture of Afro-Cuban elements; the freedom between one hand and the other when playing; a matter that allows him to perform incredible interpretations; and the virtuosity that led him to be considered among the five best jazz pianists on the planet.

About both…
After many years of separation, already in this century, a fruitful reunion between both occurs, which is finally crowned in a magical way in the year 2008 with the recording of the album Juntos para siempre; it includes several mythological pieces such as Lágrimas negras, Sabor a mí, La Gloria eres tú and others that refer to themselves, such as Preludio para Bebo, composed by Chucho as a tribute to his father, A Chucho and Descarga Valdés, I believe that essentially this album constitutes a clear testimony of those connections between father and son.

As a closing remark it can be said that approximately two years before Bebo's death (2013), his son moved to Benalmádena (Málaga), where he resided, to accompany him at the end of his life and to recover some of the time they had lost being together. Thus two glories drew near again who knew how to make with their creations a successful journey from the popular to the classical. Between these two giants of music they achieved a showcase that is already approaching the respectable figure of twenty Grammy awards, the most faithful music lovers around here feel very proud to be their countrymen.