The New York Times has called him “A pianist of imperial command, possessed of a dazzling, deceptively casual virtuosity.” On Thursday, May 8, at 8:00pm, Chucho Valdés and his Cuban band, Irakere—featuring new guest vocalist Emilio Frias—will perform at the Colden Auditorium, Kupferberg Center for the Arts (Queens College-CUNY, located at 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, in Flushing, New York.)
Description: Winner of seven Grammy and seven Latin Grammy Awards, and an NEA Jazz Master, Cuban pianist, composer, and arranger Chucho Valdés is a leading figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz. In a rich career spanning sixty years, Chucho has pushed boundaries in pursuit of new expressions in Afro-Cuban music. Chucho Valdés: Irakere 50 is a celebration of Irakere, the Cuban band that, with its bold fusion of Afro-Cuban ritual music, popular Cuban music styles, jazz and rock, marked a before and after in Latin jazz. This special performance features new guest vocalist Emilio Frias.
See more about the artists and the venue at https://kupferbergcenter.org/event/chucho-valdes/