Oscar Valdez & Diakara performing at La Zorra y La Cueva Jazz Club, Habana

Irakere was Cuba's invention to enable the Cuban scene to compete with the international rock music development. The innovative band became a great success and won a Grammy in the 70s. The Cuban state cut the success tour when it forced the group to cancel their concerts in the US in favour of local events. The founders Chucho Valdés, Cuba's most famous pianist until today, and Oscar Valdés, percussionist and singer, are two of Cuba's many great music stars. After the breakup of Irakere, Oscar Valdés went on by himself and founded Diákara, a group of eight musicians with an Afrocuban, partly traditional religious repertory.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• jazz
• oscar valdez
• irakere
• diakara
• havana
• cuba
• performing salsa
• live music
• improvisation
• afro cuban

[jamjam786]

This is awesome! I was there on Friday December 16th, sitting in the EXACT seat where this was filmed, watching this same act on the opening night of the Havana Jazz Festival, drinking 15 year old Havana Club, smoking Siglo VI Cohibas, and chatting with the manager Arturo!!! What a night, what a club, what a band, what a city!

[tskaladiotis]

Sooo Nice...!!!!