Charles Flores

The career of Grammy Award-winning bassist Charles Flores began in Cuba in 1989 with Cuban jazz singer and composer Bobby Carcasses. While playing alongside Carcasses, he was recruited by pianist Emiliano Salvador, one of the major figures in the history of Cuban jazz. In the following three years he performed in Europe and Latin America with Salvador and his quartet.

Charles continued his musical career with the Latin fusion group "AfroCuba" during 1992 and 1993, recording a CD titled "Acontecer".

After his time in AfroCuba, he joined Isaac Delgado's group and toured internationally during this period, recording three CDs including "Con Ganas", "El Chévere de la Salsa y el Caballero del Son" and "El año que viene". In the mid-1990s, Flores decided not to return to Cuba during a tour of Peru.

The creativity of Charles Flores and his distinctive playing style were demonstrated in his performances with Michel Camilo, Jane Bunnet, Paquito D'Rivera, J.P. Torres, Brian Lynch, Giovanni Hidalgo, David Sánchez, BBC Big Band, Horacio "El Negro" Hernández, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Valentín, Steve Khan, Dafnis Prieto, Fahir Atakoglu, Dave Samuels, Siedah Garret and others.

In 2002 he joined Michel Camilo's trio, performing on most of the major jazz circuits in the world. The recording of the album "live at the Blue Note", Charles Flores with Michel Camilo's trio, won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2004.

In 2010 he reunited with Isaac Delgado, who invited him to play on the album Love (Calle 54), a tribute to Nat King Cole produced by Fernando Trueba and Nat Chediak.

Charles Flores electrified the jazz world with his inspiring and powerful performances.

Flores died, a victim of cancer, in Hartford, Connecticut, United States.