Abelardo Valdés

Cuban musician (contrabass), composer and conductor of the Orquesta Almendra, Ernesto Abelardo Valdés was one of the most important danzoneros in Cuban musical history. He was born on November 7, 1911, in Havana, in the middle of a family of rhythms and melodies. He died 47 years later as the musician who made the danzón known in the world, on December 9, 1958 in Havana. Info (source: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvGuXKRcrt1ihKUj4G1Du02x89kUTz3VE) As a child he began studying music theory and flute with maestro José María Arieta Bambiteli. In 1921, when he was only 10 years old, his family decided that he should stop studying due to health problems. Shortly thereafter, he began what would become his passion: music. After studying violin, Valdés de la Cantera decided to take up the double bass, which was his father Abelardo Valdés' favorite instrument. In 1938, as a musician in the “Hermanos Contreras” orchestra, this talented creator launched his danzón “Almendra” onto the world stage. At only twenty-seven years of age, he wrote the most original work in the danzón style, unlike anything that already existed in the repertoires of the best Cuban groups. Almendra revolutionized the world of danzón worldwide, as evidenced by the countless recordings that even Valdés himself could not have imagined. The importance of the danzón Almendra is valid, since the vast majority of other works in this rhythm were written in a fusion format, that is, with pieces of foreign melodies such as zarzuela, symphonic works, marches, etc. Two years after writing this monumental work, Valdés formed his own group, naming it after his now famous danzón and choosing the following musicians: Valdés de la Cantera, double bass; Edelmiro Zequeira, flute; Gustavo Sorís, piano; Domingo Franco, first violin; Luis Díaz, second violin; Jerónimo, third violin; Isidoro Barbosa, timbalero, and Agustín Vidal, güirista. This orchestra remained together for almost two decades, with the exception of the flutist, who was replaced by Miguel O'Farrill in 1943, and a few other musicians. The Almendra orchestra began to use the following guest musicians to record a huge number of works, many of them almost forgotten, and for this project it enlisted: The Luisito Pla trio with Roberto Cordero and Pepe Trelles, Dominica Berges, and Alberto Aroche, Arribe, Carlos Querol, Alfredo León, Candita Batista, El Gaiterin (Gaita), Migdalio Hidalgo, Gisela Labarca, and the Llopis Dulzaidez Quartet. The Almendra orchestra remained active for 15 years with an unparalleled amount of work, performing radio programs, especially on Radio Progreso, a predominantly musical station listened to by the entire Cuban people and beyond our borders. It also performed dances and international tours, such as in Colombia in 1954 and Venezuela in 1955. It is only fair to acknowledge that the work of this outstanding musician has been immensely laborious and commendable, as he has stopped recording his own beautiful danzones in order to revive almost forgotten works from the national repertoire, thus ensuring that magnificent melodies from our musical heritage are not lost. It is also worth noting that in the years when he made these recordings, this feat was difficult to achieve. Valdés de la Cantera carried out this work with the Almendra orchestra over a period of 15 years. We should also mention that his health was always an impediment for this remarkable composer, who in 47 years accomplished so much, all of it important.