Chucho Valdes: Tribute To Irakere - Live In Marciac (CD+DVD)

More than four decades ago, Chucho Valdés revolutionized Cuba’s music scene as the leader of the jazz ensemble Irakere. The band’s sound and arrangements remain as modern as ever. Their Afro-Cuban jazz and their interpretations of traditional Cuban music—with forays into disco and fusion—are driven by dance rhythms and feature symphonic instrumentation. In addition to Valdés’s piano, Arturo Sandoval’s trumpet, and Paquito D’Rivera’s saxophone, the band was characterized by its heavy use of percussion. In the late 1990s, Chucho Valdés handed over the leadership of Irakere to his son and founded his own new band, The Afro-Cuban Messengers. At age 74 and with his new band, he breathes new life into some of Irakere’s most powerful classics, beautifully arranged for a new generation of musicians. “Tribute to Irakere – Live in Marciac” features the complete concert from last year’s famous French jazz festival on DVD and a selection of highlights on CD.