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Irakere
after 30 years of hits-in-a-row
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 Havana
born-based pianist Chucho
Valdés founded Irakere
in 1973, backed by an impressive line-up fusing in a unique way, Jazz
with the afrocuban
chants, drums and creeds, competing rock,
classical
feelings, and more than two-hundred Latin American and Caribbean
rhythms. This collage helped to blend once more the Cuban roots to
the universal beats, shining the amazing new wave sonorities to our
island history.
The milestones of Irakere can be found in La Orquesta Cubana de Música
Moderna, a legendary Big Band that grouped the finest soloists of
the moment and Grupo
de Experimentación Sonora del ICAIC. Its main founders
were seasoned veterans who had been playing jazz and Cuban rhythms
for years in different combos, The Tropicana Cabaret Orchesta, the
Musical Theater of Havana, plus other venues and name ensembles.
In all these former settings, Jazz stated its non-stopping impact
all around the world, where Cuba was not an exception.
About Irakere repertoire, it has been a fruitful combination of jazz
groovings, rhythm and blues, gospel, the classical piano of Lecuona,
Debussy, Rachmaninov and Ravel Mozart symphonies plus dancing versions
taken from Arsenio Rodríguez Conjunto vintage, Chapottin, Lili
Martínez, Peruchín, Jorrín, Claire Fischer, Benny
Moré and other universal classics.
This well-tempered boom, colors and drumming can be appreciated in
albums like "Tierra en trance", "Calzada del Cerro",
Ïrakere and the Symphony Orchestra featuring Leo Brouwer"
among others.
Chucho Valdés e Irakere approaches, bring us to mind a fundamental
reflection made by Cuban musicologist Emilio Grenet since 1930 : "…what
now is presented … as something, able to produce unknown emotions
… is just the spiritual legacy of a country that for more than
a century has struggled to find a new way of expression …"
Impulsed by a very refreshing winter session last December 2003, the
cities of Havana and Matanzas became the seats of different Cuban
name-bands invited to the three decades of Irakere happy anniversary.
Among them is due to mention Havana Ensemble, Los Hermanos Arango,
Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Bobby Carcassés y Afrojazz,
AfroCuba de Matanzas, and the awarded Jojazz Stars. Crossing the borders,
were received Steve Turre, Hugh Fraser and Luis Salinas.
Four Grammy Awards in different categories are the velvet to show
Chucho's stuff as a soloist, as well as with collaboration of founders
and new elements.
Courtesy of the specialist in musical topics Toni Basanta.
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