New York, Oct. 12, 2012 — The Children’s Tumor Foundation is pleased to announce that Grammy nominated musician Chuchito Valdes will perform at its Annual Benefit Gala on November 1, 2012 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, pianist, composer, and arranger Jesus “Chuchito” Valdes, Jr. is the third-generation manifestation of a Cuban jazz piano dynasty that includes his father, Chucho Valdes, and grandfather, Bebo Valdes.
The oldest of five siblings, Valdes was a child prodigy, attending and graduating from La Escuela de Musica Ignacio Cervantes. He had his first professional gig at the age of 16, working with Cuban singer and trumpeter Bobby Carcasses, and also accompanied singers Pello El Afrokan and Anibel Lopes for a time.
In the mid 1980’s, Valdes was a member of the Cuban jazz combo Sonido Contemporaneo, and by the late 1990’s he had taken his father’s spot in the renowned Irakere band when the elder Valdes opted to go solo.
Eventually Chuchito followed suit, leading his own band and touring behind his fiery brand of Afro-Cuban Jazz. He released a debut album, Encantado, in 2002, following it with La Timba in 2002 and Herencia in 2004, and Keys of Latin Jazz, which was nominated for a Latin Grammy, in 2007. The albums Cuban Dream, which was also nominated for a Latin Grammy, and Prince of Latin Jazz were released in 2009. In 2010, he released Viva El Sonido Cubano/ New York is Now which was nominated for a Grammy.
Chuchito has performed at festivals, clubs, and concerts throughout the world, from Cuba and the Caribbean to North America, South America, and Europe. Chuchito is recognized as a master of Cuban music including Son, Danzon, Cuban Timba and Guaguanco.
Chuchito continues the legacy of great piano players from Cuba by performing at some of the more legendary jazz venues, such as Birdland and Blue Note in New York City, The Jazz Standard, Caramoor, Yoshi’s, and The Iridium.
Chuchito Valdes currently resides in Cancun, Mexico, and he is a frequent performer in the United States and Canada.
The Children’s Tumor Foundation’s Annual Benefit Gala is the organization’s largest and most important fundraiser of the year. As many as five hundred of CTF’s friends, family, andsupporters are expected to attend and the Foundation will honor three exceptional individuals. Mr. Richard Horvitz and Dr. Kaleb Yohay will receive the Children’s Humanitarian Award, the highest honor given by the Foundation, and Mr. Drew Leathers, who has courageously battled schwannomatosis, the rarest form of NF, for most of his 25 years will be named this year’s Children’s Tumor Foundation Ambassador.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.ctf.org/benefitgala.
Media Contact:
Simon Vukelj
Director of Communications, Children’s Tumor Foundation
T: 212-344-7568
E: svukelj@ctf.org
