11/28/01
Internationally famous sonero (improvising Latin singer),
composer; nicknamed "Mr Babalú".
Profile by John Child (John_Child@descarga.com)
 VALDÉS, Miguelito
(b
6 Sept. '10, Belén district, Havana; d
8 Nov. '78, Bogotá, Colombia) Internationally famous sonero (improvising Latin singer),
composer; nicknamed "Mr Babalú" because he recorded and performed the song so often;
acclaimed interpreter of Afro-Cuban songs, which both celebrated the heritage of
Cuban blacks and highlighted their suffering. Born to a Cuban-Spanish father and Mexican
Maya Indian mother; from age 10 grew up in Havana's Cayo Hueso district listening
to Santería (Afro-Cuban cult music) and classical music; befriended Arsenio Rodríguez, Chano Pozo and Félix Chappottín; became an automobile mechanic at age 11 after only
six years of primary school. Started boxing '26 for Cuban YMCA; became Cuba's amateur
welterweight champion '29 and sang songs during radio interviews; switched to music
full-time as singer with Sexteto Habanero Juvenil; after two years guitar and singing
tuition from María Teresa Vera (singer/guitarist/composer; b
6 Feb. 1895, Guanajay, Cuba; d
17 Dec. '65, Havana), he joined her group Sexteto Occidente '29 as a chorus singer;
Machito was also a member at the time.
He relocated to Panama '33-6; became a major star there as the vocalist with Lucho
Azcarraga orchestra '34-6. Shortly after returning to Cuba in Sept. '36, alto saxist/leader
Manolo Castro recruited him to his high society band Los Hermanos Castro (founded '30; dissolved '60); Valdés' innovative improvisational rendition of Afro-Cuban numbers
caused a sensation. Finding the regime in Castro's band too stingy and inflexible,
he and six other members departed '37 to found a corporation which organised an 11-piece band incl. pianist/arr./composer Anselmo Sacasas (b
23 Nov. '12, Manzanillo, Oriente province, Cuba), second trumpeter/ballad vocalist
Walfredo de los Reyes II, violinist/director Guillermo Portela and Valdés as administrator,
drummer, Afro and uptempo vocalist. The band acquired the name Orquesta Casino de la Playa when Valdés negotiated a five year contract with the Summer Casino in Marianao
Beach, then a daily slot on the CMQ radio station which launched them in Cuba and
led to tours of Latin America.
Casino de la Playa signed with RCA Victor '37 and made about 200 78s records for the
label, many of which are collected on Memories Of Cuba 1937-44
'91 (incl. Valdés' original '39 big hit recording of "Babalú" by Margarita Lecuona),
Adios Africa 1937-40
'94 and Fufuñando 1937-1940
'95 on Tumbao, Miguelito Valdés
'94 (with Orq. Casino de la Playa '38-40) and Orquesta Casino de la Playa
'95 on UK Harlequin label, and Cantantes de la Orquesta Casino de la Playa Vol. 1
'97 on Cubanacán. Commenting on the band's period with RCA Victor, Valdés told writer
Max Salazar in '76: "We had no union...no agents to protect us. We were paid $20.00
each, and never received royalties...but the exposure it got us was priceless."
Valdés (as well as Sacasas) decided to leave Casino de la Playa and relocate to NYC.
Accounts differ about his departure from Cuba. In a '75 radio interview he cited
an ambition "to make it big in the big country of opportunity (USA)", and spoke of
repeated invitations to join Xavier Cugat's orchestra whenever the bandleader was in Cuba.
However, Salazar believes it was Valdés' intolerance of Cuban racism, citing a comment
he made about Afro-Cuban musicians like tres guitarist/composer Arsenio Rodríguez
having been allowed to record with Casino de la Playa, but being prohibited from gigging
with them (Adios Africa 1937-40
'94 incl. Arsenio playing tres on his composition "Se Va El Caramelero"). It has
been asserted that Chano Pozo was rejected as a member because he was "too black"
to perform at certain Cuban venues. Differences with Casino de la Playa's director
Portela have also been alluded to.
Shortly before leaving Cuba, Valdés provided lead vocals to a series of sides made
'40 by Orquesta Havana-Riverside (a rival of Casino de la Playa founded '38, directed
by violinist Enrique González Mántici), 12 of these are incl. on Rompan El Cuero
'95 on Tumbao, and two more on Cuban Big Bands 1940-1942
'95 on Harlequin (also incl. four Casino de la Playa cuts with Valdés on vocals).
In addition, he recorded with Sexteto Nacional (personally reconvening the disbanded
members) and the group of pianist/composer Enrique Bryon; two sides with Nacional
and one with Bryon are collected on Cuban Sextetos & Conjuntos
'96 on Harlequin.
Valdés and Sacasas left Cuba Apr. '40 and arrived in NYC on 16 May. Sacasas organised
his own orchestra, which debuted at Chicago's Colony Club Sept. '40 incl. 17-year-old
Tito Puente; Anselmo Sacasas and his Orchestra 1942-1944
'96 on Harlequin, Poco Loco
'95 and Sol Tropical
'96 on Tumbao compile '42-9 recordings by his orch.; he relocated to Miami '49, there
hired as mus. dir. for variety shows at Miami Beach's Fontainebleau Hotel c
'51; then to Puerto Rico '63, where became mus. dir. at the San Juan Hotel; backed
singers like Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Edith Piaf, at both hotels; returned
to Miami to retire '76. Meanwhile, Cugat quickly sought-out Valdés and signed him
to a five year contract. He made his RCA Victor debut with Cugat May '40; bandleader switched
to Columbia Oct. '40: recordings featuring Valdés collected on Xavier Cugat And His Orchestra 1940-42
'91 (incl. his second recording of "Babalú" on Columbia '41) and Rumba Rumbero
'92 on Tumbao, Bim Bam Bum 1935-1940
'92, Congas, Chihuahuas & Rumbas 1940-1945
'96, Cuban Love Songs 1939-1940
'97, Cugat's Nugat's
'98, Weekend in Havana 1940-1947
'99 (incl. the never commercially released transcription disc "Fufuñando", Cugat's
only recording of the tune) and Xavier Cugat: In Person (1940-1942 Radio Broadcasts)
'00 (incl. a '42 edition of the NBC Camel Caravan
radio show featuring Valdés), all on Harlequin. During his stint with Cugat he sang
at NYC's Waldorf Astoria Hotel and other prestigious venues and performed in the
Hollywood movie You Were Never Lovelier
'42, starring Fred Astaire and Rita Heyworth. Cugat on Film 1936-1948
'99 on Harlequin compiles five excerpts from You Were Never Lovelier
, incl. "Chiu Chiu" co-sung by Valdés and Lina Romay.
Hot selling Cugat recordings enabled his photo to appear on the front cover of Billboard
Apr. 42, giving him national exposure. Cugat released Valdés from his contract '42
after the singer refused to work without a pay raise; began solo career as top-billing
act at NYC's La Conga club; later performed at all the City's prominent supper clubs.
Recorded two albums on Decca with Machito and his Afro-Cubans '42 in 48 hours to beat
a national musicians strike; tracks collected on Cuban Rhythms
'92 on Tumbao: "We came with such hits like "Bim Bam Bum", "Oye Negra", "Rica Pulpa",
"Drume Negrita": every one was like a lucky thing; "Oye Negra" was the very last
one I recorded: I didn't even have a voice, I was singing with my soul." Relocated
to Mexico City '42-4; there appeared in 12 movies, giving him even greater exposure. Returned
to USA Sept. '44 to reside in Los Angeles. Popular '40s recordings with La Sonora
Matancera and Noro Morales collected on Señor Babalú
on Tropical (reissued as Miguelito Valdés Sings
'89 on Palladium; La Sonora tracks also compiled on Vicentico & Miguelito Con La Sonora Matancera: Los Valdés Se Formo El Rumbon
'98 on Seeco); made further six sides mid-'40s with Machito band on Verne (compiled
on Guampampiro
'97 on Tumbao). Appeared in the movies Panamericana
'45 and with Machito band in Night In The Tropics
c
'46 starring Betty Reilly; visited Cuba '45 to be awarded a medal by President Batista.
At this point, Valdés was the most popular and highly paid Latin artist in the US.
After signing an exclusive contract with Musicraft, the label sent him to Havana
mid-Dec. '46 to mid-Jan. '47 to make eight sides with a sextet of local musicians,
incl. his friend Chano Pozo on conga; five of these are compiled on Algo Nuevo
'00 on Tumbao. During his stay he participated in a broadcast by the radio station
Mil Diez in Jan. '47; the essential 3-CD and book boxed set Chano Pozo: El Tambor De Cuba
'01 on Tumbao incl. a recording of the debut performance of his self-penned "Sangre
Son Colorá" from this broadcast accompanied by the studio band Orquesta de la Mil
Diez (incl. Pozo playing conga) together with 16 other recordings featuring Valdés.
Jordi Pujol (writer of the book Chano Pozo: El Tambor De Cuba
'01) cites Pozo's involvement in these Dec. '46/Jan. '47 recordings as evidence that
it was more likely he relocated to NYC in Jan. '47 rather than May '46 as previously
believed. Valdés facilitated Pozo's first recording date in NYC with Gabriel Oller's
Coda label (subsequently renamed SMC), and participated in the resultant session in
Feb. '47, contributing conga and vocals to four Afro-Cuban chants issued under the
name of Chano Pozo y su Ritmo de Tambores (all four sides incl. in Chano Pozo: El Tambor De Cuba
).
He debuted with his own big band '48, and did a number of US tours and prestigious
residencies with them. After his Musicraft contract expired, Valdés and his orch.
made 22 classic recordings during five sessions '49 for Oller's SMC label incl. pianists
René Hernández, Eddie Cano, Al Escobar, percussionist Ray "Little Ray" Romero (b
18 June '23, Ponce, Puerto Rico); this material compiled on the essential Mambo Dance Session
'94 on Caribe, and an overlapping 13 tracks collected on Algo Nuevo
'00 on Tumbao (both CDs, as well as Chano Pozo: El Tambor De Cuba
, incl. Valdés' tribute "Chano Pozo" recorded shortly after Pozo's murder). Valdés
first saw Cano playing with the group of Tony Martínez in an LA club: "About two
weeks later," explained Cano, "Tony got a telegram: 'Need a piano player, please
send me yours.' So Tony says, 'Do you want to go to New York?'...and I said, 'Of course I do'...I
joined (Valdés) in Minneapolis and stayed with the band for two years." (quoted in
Barrio Rhythm
'93 by Steven Loza). Mr. Babalú
'93 on Tumbao compiles eight sides made with his own orch. '49 and eight with the
Noro Morales orch. '51, incl. a version of "Babalú" with each band. Also recorded
on Monogram '50; on Tico '53 as a soloist with the orch. of René Touzet (pianist/composer;
b
8 Sept. '16, Havana). Disbanded '54 when financial circumstances prevented him from
sustaining a full sized band; retained Puerto Rican pianist Luisito Benjamín as an
accompanist for tours. Faced with the mid-'50s emergence of rock 'n' roll and new
Latin stars, Valdés went into retirement in L.A.
The recommended 16 track collection Cuban Originals: Miguelito Valdés
'00 on BMG woefully lacks details on bands accompanying Valdés, recording dates and
locations, however it's probable that some of the material was recorded during the
'50s in Mexico. The backbone of Cuban Originals: Miguelito Valdés
comprises of nine cuts from the notable '78 anthology Mister Babalú...Miguelito Valdés
on Venezuelan RCA Camden, namely, a sublime version of Arsenio's classic "Bruca Manigua"
(recorded in Mexico '58), "Facundo" and "Angelitos Negros" with Chico O'Farrill's
orch.; "Cubano Soy" with the Luis González Pérez orch.; "Quimbamba" and "Campanitas
de Cristal" in duet with Margarita Romero and Rafael de Paz's orch.; "Echame A Mi
La Culpa" and "Linda Mujer" (with a distinct rock 'n' roll beat) with his own group;
and the original '39 Orquesta Casino de la Playa version of "Babalú". The remaining
seven tracks incl. three charanga numbers, "El Platanal de Bartolo", "Dolor Cobarde" and
"Que Te Pasa Conmigo", most likely with Orquesta América.
Machito's mus. dir. Mario Bauzá invited him to return to NYC to reunite with the orch.
on LP Reunion
'63 on Tico, "which I believe is one of the very best records I ever made in my life."
This reestablished his career, incl. his own TV show '66-76; albums incl. Mejico Yo Te Canto/I Sing Of Mexico
'64 on Tico, a selection of Mexican mariachi standards recorded in Mexico; Canciones Mi Mama No Me Enseño/Spanish Songs Mama Never Taught Me
'64 and Mas Canciones Mi Mama No Me Enseño/More Spanish Songs Mama Never Taught Me
'65 on Tico with Tito Puente, Machito, Graciela and Joe Cuba; Chico O'Farrill's Married Well
'67 on Verve, providing lead vocals to "Manteca" and as part of the vocal group on
a jazzy interpretation of Arsenio's "Llora Timbero"; the highly recommended Inolvidables
'67 on Verve, arr. and conducted by O'Farrill, incl. Machito, Graciela, Victor Paz,
Carlos "Patato" Valdez; Miguelito Valdés
'77 on Orfeón, a collection of tracks recorded in Mexico with La Sonora Matancera
and his own orch.; Miguelito Canta A Panama
'77 on Mericana, made in Panama and dir. by Paz; Mister Babalú en Perú
on IEMPSA (issued on LAD '80). Described '70s salsa phenomenon as "a beautiful continuation
of something that started many years ago...I'm glad it's still alive." Had mild heart
attack in Mexico Mar. '78; collapsed and died on stage during a performance at the Hotel Tequendama, Bogotá, Colombia, Nov. '78. Producer Al Santiago organised
the all-star Gaucho Band (aka The Santiago-Madera 22 Piece Studio Band), incl. Machito,
Bauzá, Puente, Charlie Palmieri and others for a tribute single to Valdés on Gaucho
'79.
NOTE: Additional quotes from radio interview '75 with Dr. Ken "Leo" Rosa - see the companion
piece Miguelito Valdés Speaks
for the complete text.
-This is a significantly revised version of one of over 130 Latin music entries written by John Child (John_Child@descarga.com) for The
Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 2nd Edition, edit. Donald
Clarke; Penguin Books; 1998; 1524 pages; US$22.95, UK£16.99.
They are published on the Descarga website by kind permission of Mr. Donald Clarke.
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