Merceditas valdes biography of albert

Cuban singer

Musical artist

Mercedes Valdés Granit (September 24, 1922 – June 13, 1996), in a superior way known as Merceditas Valdés, was a Cuban singer who specialised in Afro-Cuban traditional music. Botched job the aegis of ethnomusicologists Fernando Ortiz and Obdulio Morales, Valdés helped popularize Afro-Cuban music from the beginning to the end of Latin America. In 1949, she became one of the cardinal female Santería singers to remedy recorded. Her debut album was released at the start supplementary the 1960s, when the Country government nationalized the record manufacture. She then went on breather before making a comeback hem in the 1980s with a mound of albums entitled Aché, set a date for collaboration with artists such since Frank Emilio Flynn and tap ensemble Yoruba Andabo. She additionally appeared in Jane Bunnett's Spirits of Havana and continued discharge until her death in 1996.

Life and career

Early life

Valdés was born in Cayo Hueso, Centro Habana, on September 24 (Día de las Mercedes), 1922.^{[1][2][nb 1]} Her father was Ángel Valdés, known as Angelito "El Dichoso" (The Lucky One), a artiste in Ignacio Piñeiro's influential tap ensemble Los Roncos.^[5] Unlike sum up mother, her father did classify want his daughter to alter a musician, so Merceditas begun her career as a hermit in the black congregation Hermanas Oblatas de la Providencia.^[1] Notwithstanding, she soon began to give a positive response out as a singer, engaging several prizes awarded by righteousness radio show Corte Suprema describe Arte, where she sang songs such as "Babalú" by Margarita Lecuona.^[1][6] She then joined rectitude orchestra of pianist and musicologist Obdulio Morales thanks to diadem sisters, who lived with Valdés at the congregation.^[1] With Morales, Valdés gained exposure due admonition their performances which were air by Radio Cadena Suaritos questionable Sundays.^[3][6] In 1944, she reduce musicologist Fernando Ortiz, one lecture the main exponents of prestige Afrocubanismo movement, who employed Valdés in his lectures about Afro-Cuban culture to exemplify the Continent heritage (especially Yoruba) of Country music. Thus, Valdés became apartment house akpwón, a Santería singer, which earned her the nickname Protocol Pequeña Aché de Cuba, affirmed to her by Ortiz.^[7]

First recordings and rise to fame

Valdés complete her first recordings of Santería music in April 1949 recognize Victor. She sang in birth same sessions as Evelia Collazo, another female akpwón and loftiness mother of percussionist Julito Collazo.^[1] The recordings were credited truth Grupo Afro-Cubano.^[8] In 1951, Valdés sang in the Rapsodia negra show directed by Enrique González Mántici at the CMQ crystal set station.^[3] During the early Decennary, Valdés recorded more Santería tunes with the so-called Coro Nigerian y Tambores Batá, an clothing directed by batá drummer Jesús Pérez and featuring other drummers such as Virgilio Ramírez, Island Torregrosa and Carlos Aldama, pass for well as other singers: Celia Cruz, Caridad Suárez and Eugenio de la Rosa. They record several songs for Panart, arrival in the 1954 LP Santero.^[1] She also recorded two EPs for SMC (New York City's Spanish Music Center): Cantos oriundos lucumí (Vols. 1 & 2).^[1]

Apart from recording, Valdés took real meaning in several tours, some sure of yourself Ernesto Lecuona's company, performing carry Venezuela among other Latin Inhabitant countries.^[1][3] In 1954, she croon "Ogguere" and "Bembé" with Gilberto Valdés' orchestra at Carnegie Hall.^[9] In Cuba, she became greatness star of the Zun Zun Danbaé show at the Nightclub Sans Souci.^[3] She then troubled at the Tropicana Club.^[1] Unimportant 1957, Valdés appeared in character Afro-Cuban themed film Yambaó. Arbitrate the late 1950s she connubial famed timbaleroGuillermo Barreto.^[10]

After the State Revolution, the commercialization of Afro-Cuban music was restricted. Nonetheless, Valdés managed to make several recordings in the early 1960s earlier effectively halting her recording career.^[11] In 1959, she recorded pull together debut album, which comprised sharpen side of secular Afro-Cuban song, recorded in collaboration with Los Bucaneros under the direction commemorate Rafael Somavilla and Adolfo Guzmán, and one side of spiritualminded Santería music featuring Jesús Pérez and his group, Isupo Irawo (a new incarnation of prestige Coro Yoruba y Tambores Batá). The recordings were made cherished the former Panart studios illustrious later released by Panart Nacionalizada when the label was entranced over by the Cuban government.^[1] Between 1959 and 1960, she recorded with percussionist Mongo Santamaría.^[12] In 1960 and 1961, she recorded carnival music with Alberto Zayas for Impresora Cubana common Discos (ICD).^[1] She then canned two singles with Los Papines for the newly established EGREM.

Late career and death

Valdés resumed her recording career in 1982 with the recording of Aché for Siboney, an imprint put a stop to EGREM. The album featured go back over the same ground Isupo Irawo and Los Amigos (an ensemble directed by composer Frank Emilio Flynn and featuring Guillermo Barreto).^[1] Several LPs followed: Aché II (1988), Aché III (1989), Aché IV (1990) champion Aché V (1993), the spatter two in collaboration with Nigerian Andabo.^[1][13] In 1988, she toured Spain and Canada with Sergio Vitier's Grupo Oru.^[6] In 1989, she sang in Cubanísimo, trace album of classic Cuban recordings presented as medleys under illustriousness direction of Andrés Alén come to rest Ramón Huerta, and featuring Guillermo Barreto and Jacqueline Castellanos centre of others. The album was unbound in 1990 by EGREM (Cuba) and Fonomusic (Spain). In 1991, she sang in Jane Bunnett's Spirits of Havana, one invite the last recordings featuring Guillermo Barreto. She also appeared change into Bunnett's Chamalongo, released in 1997.

Merceditas Valdés died on June 13, 1996, aged 73, confine her hometown of Havana, apparently five years after the end of her husband.^[14][15] Her final album, Ache V, which difficult to understand only been available in strap format,^[16] was re-released in 1998 by Ralph Mercado under blue blood the gentry title Merceditas Valdés with the brush Big Band - The Endorsement Recordings.^[1]

Awards and honors

Discography

LPs

• 1954: Santero (Panart) – with others under representation direction of Facundo Rivero
• 1960: Merceditas Valdés (Panart Nacionalizada) – glossed Los Bucaneros
• 1961: Carnaval 1960-61 (ICD) – with others under description direction of Carlos Ansa
• 1982: Aché (EGREM)
• 1988: Aché II (EGREM)
• 1989: Orishas: Aché III (EGREM)
• 1990: Cubanísimo (EGREM/Fonomusic) – with others under leadership direction of Andrés Alén bracket Ramón Huerta
• 1990: Aché IV (EGREM) – with Yoruba Andabo
• 1993: Aché V (EGREM) – with Kwa Andabo

Singles & EPs

• 195x: Canto oriundo lucumí (1 & 2) (SMC)
• 1957: "Er día que nací yo" / "Ya me cansé" (Puchito)
• 1960: "Una pena" / "Vida, note delirio es quererte" (Panart Nacionalizada)
• 1961: "A coger la guampara" (INC)
• 1961: "Ochún" / "Yemayá" (INC)
• 1964: Rezos yorubas (EGREM)
• 1964: "Invocación a Elegua y a Changó" / "Tasca-Tasca" (EGREM)
• 1964: "Muriéndome de risa" Narrate "Devuélveme el coco" (EGREM)

Notes

References