Chucho Valdés delivered a thrilling solo performance on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert, where he demonstrated his profound mastery and improvisational skills on the piano. He started with the 1978 classic 'Mambo Influenciado', in which he juxtaposes traditional Cuban piano rhythms with more progressive melodies in six unpredictable minutes.
“This play that I'm going to play, it doesn't exist,” he told the crowd at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. “I'm going to improvise something, and when I'm done, it's going to be a [new] song. I want to do it like that, spontaneous, natural, I don't want to plan.” He aptly named the song “Impromptu Desk”. This rare appearance by the virtuoso offered an intimate look at his extensive musical journey and continuing influence.
His 20-minute performance also included “Ponle la Clave,” which translates to “add the key”, a traditional percussion instrument that is popular in its homeland. “In general, Cuban music – four quarters, six quarters, the meters – is not simple. Many years ago, it occurred to me to do a symmetrical theme, see how to put it key in seven… I wrote this song when I was very young, in the 60s,” he added.
At age 82, Valdés, whose career spans six decades, continues to blend jazz, classical and Cuban musical traditions into breathtaking improvisations. On August 30, a new album titled Cuba and beyond.
Throughout his prolific career, the Grammy and Latin Grammy award winning artist has landed a lot Bulletin board charts, including the 2010s El Último Trago at No. 8 on Latin Pop Albums and No. 40 on Top Latin Albums, and earned a total of eight entries on the Jazz Albums chart.
He is scheduled to headline the 20th annual Silver Spring Jazz festival on September 7.
Watch Valdés' “Tiny Desk” performance below:
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/chucho-valdes-cuban-piano-npr-tiny-desk-concert-video-1235751452/
