Hot Cha Chas

Pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader, Bebo Valdés was one of the most influential figures in the history of Cuban music. In 1954, he started recording a series of albums for the Decca record label, among them: Your Musical Holiday in Havana, Music for the Girlfriend, Cha Cha Chás y Charangas (reissued on Descarga LP 637001), and Hot Cha Chas, the latter presented here in its entirety, with 4 additional tracks added. The members of Bebo’s orchestra included such important musicians as Alejandro “El Negro” Vivar, Luis Escalante (trumpet), Generoso “El Tojo” Jiménez (trombone), Gustavo Más, Rafael “Cabito” Quesada, Virgilio Vixama (saxophones, clarinet), Enrique “Kike” Hernández (bass), Guillermo Barreto (drums), and Rolando Alfonso and Cándido Camero (congas), among others.