As principle arranger for the famed Tropicana nightclub house-band of 1950's Havana , Bebo Valdés (or Valdez , as his name is often misspelled) developed a reputation as a master arranger. His unique skills were constantly in demand and his arrangements graced some of the finest recordings in Cuban music history. This classic 1959 album “Cuban Dance Party” recorded in Havana , was a special project undertaken by the Everest record label. Everest's recording director and a team of engineers ... [Read More]

One of Cuba 's most celebrated musicians, the great blind pianist Frank Emilio Flynn (b. 1921 – d. 2001) has often been described as a “One man Buena Vista Social Club” and was one of the key progenitors of the Latin Jazz movement. This rare, classic 1959 album of Danzas Y Danzones Cubano was intended as an historical document, sanctioned by the Cuban Government as the first album to trace the roots of Cuban music from its earliest origins in the 18th century to modern times. In planning t ... [Read More]

The Sonotone label was founded in Cuba in 1956 by a very innovative producer named Manuel Mato. Mato’s great love for the classic music of his native land inspired him to seek out the cream of the crop of Cuban artists. These musicians and singers were extremely popular in the nightclubs of Havana for many years, yet they were sadly neglected as far as recordings were concerned. Between 1956 and 1960, Mato diligently recorded as many of the most popular artists he could find and produced recor ... [Read More]

This classic 1959 recording was, unbelievably, his first recording in his native land, considering that his career spanned several decades. And for the greater gift of art, the wonderful music of Orefiche is sung by Ana Margarita. The maestro performed his own songs with this wonderful young singer but also arranged all the music and appears playing piano on all tracks. This is one of the great classic treasures in all of Cuban music and appears in its entirety for the first time on CD. ... [Read More]