Biography
Havana, Cuba, served as the birthplace and childhood home of pianist, composer, and arranger Jesus "Chuchito" Valdés, Jr., who embodies the third generation in a Cuban jazz piano dynasty passed down from his grandfather Bebo Valdés and his father Chucho Valdés. As the eldest among five siblings, the young Valdés displayed prodigious talent and completed his studies at La Escuela de Musica Ignacio Cervantes. At sixteen he launched his professional career alongside Cuban singer and trumpeter Bobby Carcasses, later providing accompaniment for Pello El Afrokan and Anibel Lopez. During the mid-'80s he joined the Cuban jazz combo Sonido Contemporáneo, and in the late '90s he assumed his father's chair in the renowned Irakere band after the elder Valdés chose to pursue a solo path. Chuchito eventually struck out on his own, fronting a group that toured with his fiery brand of Afro-Cuban jazz. His debut album, Encantado, appeared in 2002 on Town Crier Records; La Timba followed the same year on J&N Records, Herencia arrived in 2004 also on J&N Records, and Keys of Latin Jazz emerged in 2007 via Sony BMG International. Valdés maintains an active schedule of touring and recording while residing in Cancun, Mexico.
Albums
