Miguelito Valdés - Latin vocalist (1910 - 1978) Internationally famous sonero (improvising Latin singer), composer, and riveting entertainer; nicknamed 'Mr Babalú' because he recorded and performed the song so often: an acclaimed pioneering interpreter of Afro-Cuban songs, which both celebrated the heritage of Cuban blacks and highlighted their suffering. He took his music from the streets of Havana to the international stages and established an enduring legacy in the process. Born to a Cuban-Spanish father and Mexican Maya Indian mother; from age ten he grew up in Havana's Cayo Hueso district listening to Santeria (Afro-Cuban cult music) and classical music; in his teens he befriended Arsenio Rodriguez, Chano Pozo and Félix Chappottin; their musical careers would all intertwine and all would become Cuban musical legends in their own right. By 1927 he was a singer with Sexteto Habanero Juvenil; by ’29 he joined group Sexteto Occidente as a chorus singer; Machito was also a member at the time

Article: Album Review

Brent Jarvis: Dragonfly

Read "Dragonfly" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
April 22, 2025

As a composer, Canadian pianist Brent Jarvis' ear is irrestibly drawn to harmonies and rhythms from well south of his usual orbit; more spefically, to the island of Cuba, from where Jarvis draws the lion's share of his inspiration for Dragonfly, his sixth recording as solo pianist or leader of a group. On ...

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