• Submitted by: manso
• Arts and Culture
• 10 / 30 / 2010

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Por Jorge Petinaud Martínez . 10/29/2010. The music record El Ultimo Trago has won two nominations to the Latin Grammies for its authors Concha Buika and Chucho Valdes. This could possibly give Valdes another two awards for his Grammy collection.

The music record El Ultimo Trago has won two nominations to the Latin Grammies for its authors Concha Buika and Chucho Valdes. This could possibly give Chucho another two awards for his Grammy collection.

A fourteen-time nominee and winner on six occasions at the Latin and US Grammy contests, Valdes is a strong candidate to the categories for The Best Album of Traditional Tropical Music and the Record of the Year, with the song Se me hizo fácil, composed by Agustin Lara.

Majorcan singer Concha Buika, with ancestors in Equatorial Guinea and Chucho, author of Misa Negra, got together at the Havana-based Abdala studios in April 2009 on the invitation of Spanish guitarist and producer Javier Limón.

The two stars achieved an authentic fusion of their souls in eleven hours of creative ecstasy, and fulfilled by far the objective of paying tribute to the legendary Chavela Vargas on her 90th birthday through her repertory.

Buika put her voice and nature, which allowed her to revolutionize Spanish Jazz and song since her first record was released in 2005.

Following his ample display of virtuosity, with an unmistakable and wise performance in all musical expressions, Valdés rendered the intensity necessary to reflect emotion, the broken heart caused by a frustrated love and the rum aroma inherent to Chavela´s spirit.

Worthy of a special mention are the authors selected for this production: Rosario Sansores and Carlos Brito, José Alfredo Jiménez, Juan Zaizar, Álvaro Carrillo, Agustín Lara, Armando Tejada Gómez y César Isella, Mario Clavel and Enrique Fábregat.

Valdés wrote orchestral compositions in which flamenco, ranchera, bolero and cha-cha-cha combine intertwined roots, while playing his piano he confirmed his class of being a universal artist.

He found valuable support from the members of his quartet: Lázaro Rivero, «el Fino», (double bass), Juan Carlos Rojas (el Peje)(drums) and Yaroldy Abreu (Latin and minor percussion), who were joined by trumpet player Carlos Sarduy and Javier Limón with the flamenco guitar.

And for the finishing touch, Cuban artist Eduardo Roca (Choco) provided the painting for the CD sleeve, a touch of distinction to make El último trago an unforgettable gift.

Dionisio Jesús Valdés (Chucho) was born in the Havana town of Quivicán on October 9, 1941. In 1979 he received his first Grammy for the record Irakere, named after the band he founded in 1973 and conducted until its dissolution.

The Irakere band was along with the Experimentación Sonora Group of the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC) and the Van Van orchestra, the driving force in the early 1970s that transformed the Cuban musical panorama.

His decision to live in his country kept Chucho away from contesting the Grammys, a major event held in the United States. However, in 1997, the record titled Habana, which contains Valdés’ performance with the Crisol Orchestra of US trumpet player , Roy Hardgrove, was the reason for another prize for the Cuban pianist.

Live at the Village Vangard , which was recorded during a performance in New York by the Quartet to which Valdés belonged along with bass player Frank Rubio, percussionist Roberto Vizcaíno and drummer Juan Carlos Rojas, was conferred another Grammy in 2000.

The «Land Rover» musician took everyone by surprise in 2002 with Canciones inéditas , a recording of intimate nature and winner of the Latin award version .

In 2004, another Grammy went to him for his participation in Buenos hermanos, by the always remembered Ibrahim Ferrer, whom Valdés accompanied in themes such as La Música cubana, Hay que entrarle a palos a ese, Fuiste cruel and Boliviana, a piece from his own inspiration.

With his father Bebo, Chucho Valdés was crowned in 2009 in the Jazz category of the Latin Grammys for the record Juntos para siempre.

El último trago is a strong candidate for two of the awards that will be presented on November 11, in Los Angeles.

Other nominees by the Latin Records Academy in Traditional Tropical Music in 2010, who are contesting the event along Buika and Valdés include the Septeto Habanero (90 Años: orgullo de los soneros), Sierra Maestra band (Sonando ya), Edesio Alejandro ...

Source Cubanow