Lyrics | Artists | Bebo Valdés

Bebo Valdés

Bebo Valdés was a Cuban performer, composer, arranger and musical director who pioneered Cuban big band, mambo and batanga music throughout the 1940s and '50s, continuing to write and perform until his death in 2013. Nicknamed El Caballón, or The Big Horse, Valdés initially found success in Havana nightclubs, playing and arranging many big band shows and working with artists like Mario Bauza and Ernesto Lecuona. As the popularity of Afro-Cuban music continued to grow worldwide, Valdés found himself touring Europe, arranging for Nat King Cole's album 'Cole Español' and teaching...