Vicentico Valdés

Considered one of the all times greatest Cuban singers, Vicentico Valdés -brother of Alfredito and Oscar- had a meteoric career in the United States. Born on January 10, 1921, he started his artistic career as vocalist in the second National Septet. 

He later formed part of the Jabón Candado Sextet, the orchestras of Cheo Belén Puig and Cosmopolita, conducted by Vicente O. Viana, Belisario López and Antonio María Romeu. 

During the 1940s, in Mexico, he sang with Humberto Cane´s Tropical Ensemble and with them he recorded "Un meneíto na´má" and "Negro bonito". In Cuba, he formed part of Los Leones Sextet together with Cristóbal Dobal and Marcelino Guerra (Rapindey).

He moved to Los Angeles, California in 1948, and later to New York, where he sang in the HISPANIC THEATER and at the MILLION DOLLAR, PARK PLAZA, PALLADIUM, Puerto Rico.

On that same year, he made recordings with Noro Morales´orchestra: "Guararé", "Una cualquiera", "Qué problema", and "Ya son las doce"; with Tito Puente (between 1948 and 1954): "Arrollando", "Ran-kankán", and "Babaratibiri". But the recordings that really made him popular were the ones he made for the SECCO recording label (1953 and 1958), in Havana, with the Sonora Matancera band: "Decídete", "Una aventura", "Yo no soy guapo", "Solo por rencor", and "Los aretes de la luna".

And so, Vicentico Valdés´ fame as a bolerista became established. He later formed his own orchestra, conducted on different occasions by René Hernández, Charlie and Eddie Palmieri, Javier Vázquez and Horacio Malviccino. Finally, at the peak of his fame, he only sang as soloist and as such made tours in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Spain and France. Vicentico died in New York on June 26, 1995.

Read the full article by Radamés Giro

In Mexico.