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Was it at that time that Norman Granz, the mythical jazz producer, had you
record a session?
That was a little bit later in 1952. I can't say I ever saw him. Loads of Americans
came to our Tropicana show and they hired us to make the first Cuban recording
in history. Around a month later, the session was recorded at a studio in Havana,
but Granz wasn't there, I don't know why, he couldn't make it to supervise the
set. It was a typical Cuban recording with rum and beers... really good.
Bebo Valdés
You've pointed out on occasion that Afro-Cuban jazz is not the same as Latin
jazz. What are the differences between them?
Afro-Cuban jazz was what we used to play when we improvised on rhythmical Cuban
bases, the same thing that Mario Bauzá was doing in the United States,
but the main problem has to do with the business because the term Latin jazz was
better for the record companies throughout Latin America. That included the entire
continent and assured much higher sales figures.
In that sense, do you think musicians like Xavier Cugat and Dámaso
Pérez Prado sacrificed the rhythmical complexity and "watered down"
Afro-Caribbean jazz for the sake of commercialism?
Well, I don't know, I can talk especially about Pérez Prado; he came
from Matanzas, he used to write very good arrangements, perhaps when he went to
Mexico, when he became famous he neglected the quality of his music somewhat.
Xavier Cugat was more of a caricaturist and Hollywood agent than a musician, although
his show was extremely successful and he made much more money than any other Cuban
artist.
The one who was more of an artist than a tradesman was Benny Moré,
the sounding voice of Cuba. Is it true that when Benny saw your son Chucho play
when he was little, he blurted out to you: "Hey, that boy's going to play
better than you!"?
(Amidst laughter) That's what he said... I met Benny in 1945, I was
working on the staff of a radio station writing arrangements. Miguel Matamoros
needed a second (vocal) because his had gotten sick. Benny filled in for
him. He had tremendous merit because he had to fight really hard as a street guitarist.
Nobody thought he would go from that to having his own orchestra. However, though
he knew how to lead his orchestra, he wasn't the conductor; the one who took care
of that was Generoso Jiménez, who wrote the arrangements for him. In the
period when I premiered the "batanga" (rhythm), he came and asked
me for a job because Mencerón had fired him. I talked to Paquito Gutiérrez
and that's when he started with us on the radio. After that Benny triumphed.
Bebo Valdés and Diego el Cigala
If we talk about Bebo, we can't fail to mention the Valdés piano
family. First your son Chucho, a recognized pianist, and now your granddaughter,
too?
Yes, it's incredible. Chucho's daughter, Dayane, who is his great personal
investment, won first prize in classical piano in Italy at the age of 19. Chucho
presented her to me not long ago; she looked me in the eye and informed me that
she was going to follow the footsteps of Chucho and me in jazz. But she didn't
say it asking for advice; she affirmed it. Of course, she wanted me to convince
Chucho to let her follow that path... For now, I can tell you that we have a date
- I didn't even know about it - in the San Sebastián Jazz Festival on July
27th. First of all, Chucho's going to be with his group and I'm going to be with
Cigala's, but there will apparently be a three-piano encounter between Chucho,
his daughter and me.
Some critics have pointed out that your way of playing is more related to
the 19th-century Cuban "neoclassic" pianists like Romeu and Saumell
than to 20th-century jazz players...
It's all a question of style... When I created the "batanga", they
said it was the most progressive thing there was in Cuba. But I can't forget Ernesto
Lecuona and Romeu; they marked the territory that the rest of us would later walk
upon.
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"We wanted to give 'Lágrimas Negras' a different touch,
as far as possible, to the hundreds of existing versions"
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Let's focus on the album that has just been released, 'Lágrimas Negras',
where boleros flirt with flamenco. Why a bolero album and why 'Lágrimas
Negras'?
'Lágrimas Negras', because it's a classic bolero by Miguel Matamoros
and we wanted to give it a different touch, as far as possible, to the hundreds
of existing versions. Besides, El Cigala is crazy about that bolero. And the rest
of the boleros... because I've played them all my life. I can tell you that people
are enthused with this show; it has very touching parts where the audience cries
and very playful parts.
When you play bulerías, tanguillos and other styles, how do you adapt
them to the piano?
In the most basic aspect, in the style, I don't change anything; I try to maintain
the form. I might change the harmonies a bit to embellish them. I'm learning a
lot from the flamencos. Between Dieguito (El Cigala), Niño Josele
and El Piraña, I'm entering their world and they're entering mine. Look,
they gave me this as a present - he proudly shows us a medal he is wearing on
his right wrist -, it belongs to a gypsy brotherhood in Almería. They tell
me I'm one of theirs and I tell them they're also one of mine (he pauses).
The incredible thing is that they're very musical. Look, for example, at Niño
Josele; he never went to the conservatory and he's one of the best concert performers.
Finally, what projects do you have for the future?
I don't have future projects but rather present ones. I intend to do as much
as I can, God willing. At my age I can't make long-term plans. Of course, I'm
putting together numbers every two months. What I can tell you is that I'm still
going to give 'em hell because another three albums of mine have already been
recorded this year. One with my big band, another with violin and piano solos
and another one with a nine-player group. Each album shows a side of me. Nat Chediak
and Trueba suggested all that to me and luckily it was able to be done. Now I
just ask for God to help us and for us to be able to go on together for a long
time to come.
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