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

Album

Chris Trinidad's Changing Tides

By Chris Trinidad

Label: Iridium Records
Released: 2021
Track listing: Inevitable Evolution; Something New In The Familiar; The Benefit of Hindsight; Finding Somewhere Forever; A Reading in Retrospect; Transcending December; Though Certainly Speaking.