# Outstanding Percussionist Oscar Valdés Passed Away

**Date:** 10/19/2023

This Thursday, October 19th, the renowned Cuban percussionist and vocalist Oscar Valdés Campos passed away in Havana at the age of 85.

He was born in Havana on November 12, 1937, in a notable family of musicians including his father Oscar (percussionist) and his uncles Marcelino (percussionist), Alfredo and Vicentico Valdés (singers).

In 1949 he began his musical training, learning from great masters the batá rhythms, the construction of abakuá drums, batá and chequeré. He studied with masters Guillermo Barreto and Salvador Admiral and at the Alejandro García Caturla Conservatory. He studied timpani.

After 1959, he was part of the Rebel Army Band and Chorus, and worked in the CMQ, ICRT orchestras, Benny Moré and Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna.

In 1972, when the group Irakere was founded under the direction of Chucho Valdés, he joined as a singer and percussionist. His work with this group was to create the lyrics and rhythmic ideas: the use of batá and the folkloric section, while Chucho created the music and orchestrations.

With Irakere, Valdés performed at the most important jazz festivals in the world, sharing with high-caliber musical figures such as Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, among others. In 1980, the group won a Grammy Award for best Latin recording.

During 1993, he worked with his sons Diego, bassist, and Oscarito, drummer, and in 2000 he formed the group Diákara, which performed jazz, returning to folkloric roots in the same line of work he had previously done with Irakere, but treated in a more profound way.

This allowed him to make contemporary music with the use of Afro-Cuban instruments, using three drummers, with the same musicians who play the tumbadora, bongó, batá, drums and also sing; additionally, electric guitar, three brass instruments, piano and bass are integrated.

In this vein, he made innovative arrangements of emblematic pieces such as Lágrimas negras, Mamá son de la loma, A romper el coco and Xiomara. He composes, records, teaches classes, makes music constantly and performs with Diákara in exclusive venues such as La Zorra y el Cuervo and Jazz Café.

In 2000 he taught classes at universities in France and Argentina and in 2001 he toured Spain and other European countries, as well as Israel, where he performed with the group in clubs and festivals and offered courses and lectures.

His album Leyenda viva, with Bis Music, a fusion of his folkloric roots with Afrojazz, won the Special Prize at Cubadisco 2010.

At the time of his death, the prestigious Cuban percussionist was a member of Uneac. In a statement, the Cuban Institute of Music conveyed condolences to family and friends.