Kiki Valera Y Su Son Cubano at PS 21 Center for Contemporary Performance

Fourth-generation descendant of La Familia Valera Miranda, the band that brought son cubano to worldwide popularity in the twentieth century, master cuatro player Kiki Valera continues the tradition at the head of his ensemble. With its Spanish and African origins, call-and-response format, and infectious percussion beats, son cubano is at the root of many contemporary musical genres, from mambo and salsa to jazz and cha-cha-chá. As composer and director of Kiki Valera y su son Cubano, he leads an ensemble of internationally acclaimed artists including vocalists Coco Freeman, former lead singer of Adalberto Alvarez y su Son and NG La Banda, Carlos Cascante, three-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, trompetista Alexis Baró, and percussionist Pedro Vargas Oliva, veteran of the Barbarito Torres Band....

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Fourth-generation descendant of La Familia Valera Miranda, the band that brought son cubano to worldwide popularity in the twentieth century, master cuatro player Kiki Valera continues the tradition at the head of his ensemble. With its Spanish and African origins, call-and-response format, and infectious percussion beats, son cubano is at the root of many contemporary musical genres, from mambo and salsa to jazz and cha-cha-chá. As composer and director of Kiki Valera y su son Cubano, he leads an ensemble of internationally acclaimed artists including vocalists Coco Freeman, former lead singer of Adalberto Alvarez y su Son and NG La Banda, Carlos Cascante, three-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, trompetista Alexis Baró, and percussionist Pedro Vargas Oliva, veteran of the Barbarito Torres Band.

GLOBAL | LOCAL: Musical Worlds Meet at PS21

Our new season-long series features musicians from across the world and from our backyard. The series examines the intersection of two ideas: the continuing need to open our minds to international art and perspectives, and the growing importance of local community, place, and togetherness in an increasingly decentralized and digitized world. PS21 resides in a hotbed of creativity—the Hudson Valley—and many of its finest musicians will be presented alongside world-class international acts in this summer-long series.

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