Amadito Valdés

Timbales player for the Buena Vista Social Club — Amadito Valdés brought the elegant, understated timbales playing of the son and danzón tradition to global audiences through the famous recordings and Wim Wenders' documentary.

About

Valdés is a master of the Cuban timbales tradition in its classic form — the light, responsive playing style developed in the charanga and son orchestra format, where the timbales provide time, color, and rhythmic comment without the volume and showmanship of the jazz tradition.

His playing throughout the Buena Vista recordings demonstrates this understated mastery: always in service of the music, always in perfect clave relationship, always with the lightness of touch that distinguishes the Cuban timbales tradition from its New York salsa counterpart.