{"id":86810,"date":"2017-02-14T10:53:43","date_gmt":"2017-02-14T15:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oncubamagazine.com\/?p=86810"},"modified":"2018-10-02T22:18:58","modified_gmt":"2018-10-03T02:18:58","slug":"chucho-valdes-wins-his-sixth-grammy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/culture\/chucho-valdes-wins-his-sixth-grammy\/","title":{"rendered":"Chucho Vald\u00e9s wins his sixth Grammy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cuban pianist and composer Chucho Vald\u00e9s<\/strong> has a new Grammy to his name. This Sunday, his CD Tribute to Irakere: Live in Marciac<\/em> was the award winner as the Best Latin Jazz Album in the 59th edition of these awards, held in the Staples Center of Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

The CD was recorded in 2016 during the Jazz Festival in Marciac, France, together with his current group, the Afro Cuban Messengers.<\/p>\n

For the CD the artist recorded with his new musicians original scores of the legendary Irakere<\/strong> group, of which he was one of the founders.<\/p>\n

With this award, Chucho \u2013 born in Quivic\u00e1n<\/strong> in 1941 and considered the most prominent figure of the history of jazz in Cuba \u2013 won the sixth Grammy of his career, plus three Latin Grammys and other important international awards.<\/p>\n

When receiving it, the jazz musician thanked the American Academy and the Marciac Festival, as well as the original members and the rest of the musicians who passed through Irakere.<\/p>\n

Officially founded in 1973, the group stood out for its work in Latin jazz and the combination of electronic music and the island\u2019s popular and folklore music. In addition to Vald\u00e9s, his musicians, applauded for their instrumental dominion and their power of improvisation, included relevant artists like saxophonist Paquito D\u2019Rivera<\/strong>, trumpet player Arturo Sandoval, guitarist Carlos Emilio Morales and drummer Enrique Pla.<\/p>\n

Son of the great pianist Bebo Vald\u00e9s<\/strong> and professor and singer Pilar Rodr\u00edguez, Chucho was worthy of the Grammy over records of renowned artistic production. They were Entre colegas<\/em>, by New Yorker Andy Gonz\u00e1lez; Canto Am\u00e9rica<\/em>, by Michael Spiro, Wayne Wallace and La Orquesta Sinfonietta; Madera Latino<\/em>, by trumpet player Brian Lynch and his guests; and 30<\/em>, by the Brazilian Trio Do Paz.<\/p>\n

Although they did not win an award, Cuba\u2019s Los Van Van were also nominated with their record La Fantas\u00eda. Homenaje a Juan Formell<\/em> in the category of Best Tropical Latin Album. Deceased Puerto Rican musician Jos\u00e9 Lugo and his Guas\u00e1bara Combo won the award with the record \u00bfD\u00f3nde est\u00e1n?<\/em><\/p>\n

The big winner of the night was British singer Adele, who won in the five categories in which she was nominated, among then the Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the late British rock star David Bowie also won five awards for Blackstar<\/em>, a record that was released a short while before his death in January 2016.<\/p>\n

Other winners<\/strong> of the 59th Grammy Awards were U.S. rapper Chace The Rapper, as the Best New Artist of the Year and for his album Coloring Book<\/em>; singer Beyonc\u00e9, with two awards out of the nine she was aspiring to; Puerto Rican vocalist Ileana Cabea (Ile) in the category of Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album; and the Snarky Puppy<\/strong> group, which in December performed during the Havana Jazz Plaza Festival and whose record Culcha Vulcha<\/em> was the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.<\/p>\n