Equis Alfonso Valdés

He was born in La Habana, Cuba. Alfonso was raised in an environment of a family of musicians and began his musical studies at the age of 7 in the Elementary Music School 'Manuel Saumell', specializing in Piano. He later pursued his intermediate-level studies at the Superior School of Art (E.N.A.), finishing in 1990. His professional experience begins with the musical group Síntesis, directed by his parents, of which he was a part as composer, arranger, and keyboardist of the group in 1990.

In Síntesis
His first arrangements can be found in several tracks on the album El hombre extraño, the fifth discographic production of SÍNTESIS together with the popular singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez. In that same year, 1990, together with his father Carlos Alfonso, he wrote the music for the Cuban film María Antonia, by Cuban filmmaker Sergio Giral, obtaining the Coral Prize for 'Best soundtrack of a Latin American film' at the XVII International Latin American Film Festival, held in La Habana.

Music
He has composed music for dance works for companies such as:
'Danza Abierta' directed by Marianela Boán, for the work 'Transit' Catalan dance company directed by Maria Rovira.
Modern Dance Company of Pepe Hevia

International Tours
Together with the group SÍNTESIS, he has conducted International tours participating in important Festivals such as:
International Jazz Festival, Caracas, Venezuela.
Nice Jazz Festival, France.
Jazz a Nice, France.
North Sea Jazz Festival, Holland.
Pori Jazz Festival, Finland.
Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland.
Pirineos Sur Festival, Huesca, Spain.
La Mar de Músicas Cartagena, Spain.
Pop Komm Festival, Cologne, Germany.

And among other countries visited, Mexico, Venezuela, U.S.A, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Denmark. His greatest production of works are found in the different albums recorded with the group SÍNTESIS, these pieces can be found in the albums:
El hombre extraño.-1990
Ancestros II.-1993
En los limites del barrio.-1995
Orishas.-1997
Habana a flor de piel.-2000

Other Work
Parallel to the work he was doing with SÍNTESIS, he worked in different discographic productions and live concerts with different solo singers such as: Santiago Feliú, Carlos Varela, was part of the jazz group Estado de Animo, with Roberto Carcassés, Decemer Bueno, Elmer Ferrer, participating in various Jazz Plaza Festivals in La Habana.

In 1992, he founded, together with two other young musicians: Iván Latour, Osamu Menéndez, the rock group 'Havana', serving as bassist, vocalist, arranger and composer, for three years he also participated in the discographic productions of this group.

He began to perform as a soloist with his own project starting in 1993, working in important theaters in La Habana, with large multimedia concerts, with dancers, rappers, painters, etc. He was selected for a documentary made in La Habana by American filmmakers from the Sundance channel in 1997 about young Cubans.-
[edit]His Own Music

Síntesis and the rappers of Free Hole Negro raised the temperature even more.

The well-achieved fusion of hip hop with jazz chords and fragments of Benny's songs, characteristic elements of his album: Homenaje a Benny Moré made it clear that all genres of Cuban music have in common the flavor of their roots.

("Bueno pá gozar. By Livia Rodríguez Delis, in Granma, Sept, 2001, regarding the Benny Moré Festival) Composer and singer Equis Alfonso is already a young promise of new Cuban music and some dare to affirm that nowadays he is the most important musician of the young Cuban scene.

His first album Mundo Real (2000) was prenominated for the Latin Grammys that year, in the categories of best album of the year, best male pop vocal album, best new artist and best song of the year. Mundo Real, published by Velas Records (property of Brazilian artist Ivan Lins), is an album with Cuban sound base, but with clear influence from international pop with the most varied touches.

For his second album with the Velas Records label titled X Moré (2001), he had the collaboration of the group Síntesis and the rappers Free Hole Negros. As its title indicates, it is a tribute to Benny Moré from the particular musical aesthetic of Equis Alfonso. His albums are incorporated into that still short but increasingly powerful list of works that includes those of Gema y Pavel, Habana Abierta and Alejandro Frómeta, among others, who, through an expressive renewal, attempt to capture a different aesthetic for our music.

Civilización (2004) marked a milestone in the history of new generation Cuban music. With songs accomplished with the characteristic rhythm of X Alfonso, and the collaboration of many collaborators, it seduced many with its songs based on La Habana (that magical city), love, religion and eternally Cuban things. It seduced, among others, the jury of the 2004 Cubadisco Award, which was given to him as a tribute to the best album of the year in Cuban music.

His work on the soundtrack of the Cuban-Spanish film Habana Blues launched him further into international fame, obtaining a Goya award for best original music in the XX edition of these awards.
[edit]According to the Cuban Music Dictionary

According to the Cuban Music Dictionary by Radamés Giro, with his album X Moré: homenaje, he won nominations for the 2002 Latin Grammy in the categories of Best rap/hip hop album, best producer of the year and best recording, and in the same year, the Cubadisco Award in the hip hop category.

Grand Prize at Cubadisco 2005, for his album Civilización. He composed music for the companies Danza Combinatoria, directed by Rosario Cárdenas; Danza Abierta, under the direction of Marianela Boán; Transit (Catalan dance company), conducted by María Rovira, and Danza Moderna, directed by José Hevia (Pepe).

He created with Carlos Alfonso the music for the film María Antonia by Sergio Giral, with which he obtained the Coral Prize for Best Soundtrack of a Latin American film at the XVII International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in the year 2000.
He composed, together with Carlos Alfonso and Esteban Puebla, the soundtrack music for the film Miel para Ochún, by Cuban filmmaker Humberto Solás.

With the group Síntesis, he toured internationally and participated in the Jazz Festival of Caracas, Venezuela; Nice Jazz Festival, France; North Sea Jazz Festival, Holland; Pori Jazz Festival, Finland; Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland; Pirineos Sur Festival, Huesca, Spain; La mar de música, Cartagena, Spain; Popkom Festival, Cologne, Germany. He also performed in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, United States and Denmark.

X Alfonso was also one of the Cuban representatives in the second version of the Concert Paz Sin Fronteras held in La Habana by Colombian musician Juanes in 2009.

Discography
Mundo real (2000)
X Moré (2001)
Delirium tremens (2002)
Civilización (2005)
Revoluxion (2007)
Reverse (2011)