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 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.
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