Orlando Valle

Orlando Maraca Valle

Orlando Maraca Valle (born September 5, 1966 in Havana ) is a Cuban flautist , composer , arranger and band leader .

Valles grew up in a family of musicians and had flute lessons at the Manuel Saumell Conservatory from the age of ten . In 1987 he joined the orchestra of Bobby Carcassés and became a member of a group led by the pianist and composer Emiliano Salvador . In 1988 he became a flautist, arranger and composer in the jazz group Irakere , led by Chucho Valdés , with whom he also appeared in Latin American jazz clubs with musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Chick Corea over the course of six years .

In 1994 he separated from Irakere and began a career as a solo musician. He worked as a composer and arranger for the group Yumurí y sus Hermanos led by his brother Moisés , the percussionists Tata Güines and "Angá" Díaz and the trumpeter Jesús Alemañy , performed with saxophonist Steve Coleman and trumpeter Roy Hargrove and played his first solo album Fórmula I a.

In 1995 Valles founded the jazz band Maraca y Otra Visión , which performed at almost all major jazz festivals in Europe over the next few years and was the only Cuban group to take part in the Midem in Cannes in 1995 . The group's first album, Havana Calling , was named Best Album of the Year in 1997 by Latin Beat magazine . In 1999 he received for the album Sonando , on which u. a. Compay Segundo , Barbarito Torres , Pío Leyva , Los Muñequitos de Matanzas , Rolo Martínez and Lino Borges participated as guests, the Premio Cubadisco for the best fusion album.

Valles performed with his groups Maraca y Otra Visión and Maraca y Afro-Cuban Jazz Masters (2001) in more than 35 countries and was nominated for a Grammy (best salsa album of the year) in 2003 . He recorded six solo albums and was a guest musician on more than forty albums.

Web links

• Homepage of Maraca Valle

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• Afrocuba Web - Orlando “Maraca” Valle
• Orlando Valle at Allmusic (English)
• Orlando Valle at Discogs (English)