About
Maraca
Flutist, pianist, composer and arranger, Orlando Valle "MARACA" yet, at the early age of 10, wrote his first song, a danzon for flute and piano, and has been considered as a prodigy child. After achieving classical studies at the Amadeo Roldan conservatory and then at the High Academic Institute of Arts of Havana, he started his professional career at the age of 16 as flutist in the group of the late Cuban pianist Emiliano Salvador, then in Bobby Carcass�s' group, before entering as flutist, keyboards player and arranger the world famous group IRAKERE, led by Chucho Vald�s, where he remained for 6 years.At the ripe age of 24, he decided to embark on his own career as a soloist and musical producer ; that year he produced, composed and arranged much of the album "Pasaporte" by the Cuban percussionists Tata Guines and Ang�, followed by other prominent productions ; he wrote and arranged several hit songs on the first and second Cubanismo albums, which led him to create his own group "Maraca & Otra Vision" in 1996.
Throughout the years he has produced many important projects, contributing with many compositions and arrangements of his own, like for the world-famous Cape- Verdian singer Cesaria Evora's "Caf� Atlantico", the Afro-Cuban Jazz Project, the Japanese singer Nora, the African Monique Seka, the Venezuelan percussionist Orlando Poleo, the Canadian Jane Bunnett, Yumuri y Sus Hermanos, Leyanis L�pez and many more.
As guest flutist, he has participated into more than 40 different productions, including Afro-Cuban All-Stars (2nd album), Frank Emilio Flynn, Caravana Cubana, Cesaria Evora (these 2 projects were nominated for a Grammy in 2000), Cubanismo, Orlando Poleo, Havana Now, Havana Caf� I & II, meanwhile he's been touring all over the USA, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean countries in the most prestigious clubs and festivals sharing the stage with musical luminaries such as Tito Puente, Oscar D'Leon, El Canario, Celia Cruz, Wynton Marsalis, Natalie Cole, Giovanni Hidalgo, Cesaria Evora, Yuri Buenaventura, Andy Narell, Mongo Santamaria and many more.
Maraca currently leads two different musical projects :
Maraca & Otra Visi�n, a powerful 12 piece-ensemble, offers a broad musical spectrum and widespread repertoire - from traditional Cuban music to Latin-jazz - and whose ability to interpret such a variety of Cuban and Caribbean musical genders and rythms as well as the originality of its fusion has been acclaimed and appreciated by audiences and critics all over the world.
Maraca & Afro-Cuban Jazz Masters, featuring 11 musicians, is an All Stars of Cuban and Latin Music, and is characterized by his rotary system of his guests ; for its US sold-out presentations in December 2001, Maraca & Afro-Cuban Jazz Masters featured the percussionists Tata Guines, Giovanni Hidalgo, Changuito, Enrique Lazaga, as well as Jimmy Bosch, Cot�, Yumur� and more. The December 31st, 2001 show in Oakland, California, was broadcast live by the US National Public Radio (NPR) through the 250 radio stations in the country. The repertoire is made of "Descargas" (Cuban Jam Sessions) and Latin-jazz tunes with original arrangements of Maraca and some the band-members.
Maraca released 5 albums as a soloist : Tremenda Rumba (2002), Descarga Total (2000), Sonando (1999/98), Havana Calling (1996/97) and F�rmula Uno (1995), and two award winning video clips, "Descarga Total" and "Sonando" highly acclaimed by national and international critics.
His newest released "Tremenda Rumba" is the result of an intense artistic work arisen from the encounter between the pictorial world of Cuban painter Salvador Gonz�lez and the original afro-Cuban music of Maraca.
" (�) The hottest band of the entire festival."
Bill SCHOEMAKER for the 2000 Vancouver Jazz Festival � JAZZTIMES (2000/10) �
" (�) The most influential Afro-Cuban band of the emerging century."
Howard REICH � THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE � USA (2000/07/14)
"The hottest band you�ve never heard of ! (�)"
Critic�s pick, SEATTLE READER � USA (2000/06)
"Flutist/bandleader Orlando "Maraca" Valle is Cuba�s latest prince of the pied pipers."
LATIN BEAT MAGAZINE � USA (2000/08)
"(�) A prime time soul band with its swirling and high-riding horns (�)."
Lloyd SACHS � THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES � USA (2000/07/14)
"One of the most incredible bands in the world (�),
a spectacular performance of new music from Cuba.(�)"
Tony MONTAGUE - THE GIORGIA STRAIGHT � Vancouver � CANADA (2000/06)
"(�)One of the few groups in the Latin jazz idiom that aspires to greatness."
Peter Watrous - The New York Times � USA (98/09/06)
" (�) A superb serving of jazz and Afro-Cuban dance music.
(�) Definitely one of 98�s bright moments.��
Chuy VARELA - Latin Beat Magazine �USA (98/10)
"(�)Orlando 'Maraca' Valle has taken on the challenge
to make something happen, to go beyond the ordinary."
Peter Watrous - The New York Times � USA (97/05/26)
"(�) Maraca is playing a central role in the evolution of Cuban music (�)."
Simon LEE, ISLAND BEAT �TRINIDAD & TOBAGGO (2000/08)
"(�) One of the hottest names in Afro-Cuban music."
Ernesto LECHNER � THE LOS ANGELES TIME � USA (09/98)
"(�) Maraca has finally liberated the Cuban flute from
the Charanga format, while elevating the fusion of jazz elements and
Latin styles to new creative heights."
Luis Tamargo - Latin Beat Magazine � USA (1998)
"Listen to Orlando 'Maraca' Valle (...) and ask yourself whether any
other flute player on earth could match him for speed, invention,
articulation and total control of tone and time."
Jack Hassarick - London Evening Standard- ENGLAND (94)
"(�) Valle�s display contained as much raw invention, musicality and,
by the end, jokish chutzpah as any string of choruses by his sax contemporary
James Carter, and the audience stayed with him every step of the way. (�)"
K. Leander WILLIAMS - TIME OUT NEW YORK - USA (08/03/00)
"Check out this young musicians and let them give you
a glimpse of what the future holds for afro-Cuban jazz."
George Rivera - www la musica.com "Peek of the week"� (97/10) - USA
"Maraca�s music is firmly anchored in the past
� a move that is likely to assure him a long and fruitful career."
Ernesto Lechner - THE Los Angeles Times, USA (98/09)
"(�) Maraca was horn-heavy (�) for an altogether
punchier sound that got people out on the dance floor almost right away.(�)"
THE EDMONTON JOURNAL � CANADA (2000/07/01)
"Cuban flute virtuoso Orlando Maraca Valle (�) has the force and ability to rise above the mix, blowing tasty improvisations while maintaining a strong sense of ensemble. (�)"
The Beat volume 17 N�4 � USA (1998)
Unknown
Past Events
29
Jun
2006
21:30
Market Square
27
Jun
2006
21:00
26
Jun
2006
21:00
