Kiki Valera

Born: January 2, 1966

Son cubano is one of the most popular musical styles in Cuba and Kiki Valera is one of its foremost exponents. Over the last century, this style of traditional Cuban music has contributed to many other genres of music including jazz, cha cha cha, mambo, salsa, songo and timba. Cuban son is the music that made the Buena Vista Social Club worldwide stars in the late 1990s but Kiki Valera comes from a family of musicians whose involvement with Cuban son pre-dates the BVSC by decades.

Kiki Valera is the oldest son of the famous La Familia Valera Miranda septet, a multi-generational traditional music group from Santiago de Cuba. Since the 19th century, La Familia Valera Miranda has played a significant role in Cuban culture by collecting and preserving the deep-rooted traditions of the legendary Sierra Maestra mountain region. Their debut album, ANTOLOGÍA INTEGRAL DEL SON, released in 1982, helped initiate the explosion of interest in traditional Cuban music.

Kiki Valera: Vacil��n Santiaguero

by Richard J Salvucci
February 15, 2025

In Cuban Spanish (and, for sure, there is no generic Spanish in Latin America), vacil��n means, well, one hell of a good time. And that is what you can expect from this punchy collection, a great time a la Santiago de Cuba, the capital of one of Cuba's southeastern provinces. It is the land of Bacard�� ...

Vacil?��?n Santiaguero

By Kiki Valera

Label: Circle 9 Records
Released: 2024
Track listing: Este Vacil��n; El Aj�� de Cocina; Sobre una Tumba una Rumba; El Penquito e�� Coleto; Funfu?ando; La Guajira; Mari-Juana; Mu?equita Feliz; El Empanadillero; P��jaro Lindo; Dos Gardenias; El Cuarto de Tula.

Vacil��n Santiaguero

By Kiki Valera

Label: Circle 9 Records
Released: 2024
Track listing: Este Vacil��n; El Aj�� de Cocina; Sobre una Tumba una Rumba; El Penquito e�� Coleto; Funfu?ando; La Guajira; Mari-Juana; Mu?equita Feliz; El Empanadillero; P��jaro Lindo; Dos Gardenias; El Cuarto de Tula.

Chkifi, OFT, Berne And More

by Bob Osborne
October 10, 2024

Another selection of excellent new jazz releases includes a couple of offerings from Tim Berne, one with Michael Formanek and the other with Bill Frisell. The programme commences with Nicolas Chkifi's excellent tribute to legendary drummer Paul Motian. Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Nicolas Chkifi “Blue Midnight" from Motian Love Dance (Ramble Records) 00:30 OJT ...

Meshell Ndegeocello, Shaun Martin, Patricia Brennan and Kiki Valera

by Hobart Taylor
August 14, 2024

Music from Meshell Ndegeocello from No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin, remembering pianist Shaun Martin, Patricia Brennan's new release Breaking Stretch and the latest from guitarist Kiki Valera.Playlist Kiki Valera “Funfun?ando" from Vacilon Santiaguero (Circle 9 Records) 0:00 Jane Bunnett & Maqueque “Bolero a un Sue?o" from Playing With Fire (Linus) 5:32 ...

Kiki Valera: Vacil��n Santiaguero

by Paul Rauch
June 30, 2024

Son Cubano, the music and dance from the hill country of eastern Cuba, may be a mystery to some readers of these pages. Though the form is rooted in both Spanish and Bantu traditions, its modern day practitioners, embodied and popularized by the music of Buena Vista Social Club, have broadened the music's view. In the ...

Vivencias En Clave Cubana

By Kiki Valera

Label: Origin Records
Released: 2019
Track listing: Mi Son; El Caballo de Curingo; El Perro de Juan; Ferec'a; Se Quema La Chumbamb��; Desenfreno; D��jame al Menos; Homenaje a Panchita; Para Continuar; El Sinsonte; Vivencias; Berenjena y Quimbomb��; Mi Son.

Kiki Valera: Vivencias En Clave Cubana

by Paul Rauch
October 19, 2019

Son Cubano is a genre of music and dance originating from the hill country of eastern Cuba during the 19th century. Its origins are a blend of African and Spanish influences. Son vocal style and meter are of Spanish tradition, while its identifiable clave rhythm, call and response, and percussive elements are of Bantu origin.