On Sunday 1st March 2020, Hyde Park Book Club will host Cuban musician Yelfris Valdés. The trumpeter, whose praises have been sung by Gilles Peterson and Mary Anne Hobbs of BBC 6 Music, is set to perform on the back of the success of his two projects: The World of Eshu Dina (2018) and For The Ones… (2019).
Valdés pursued music early in his life, studying classical music at the age of 8 and touring at 16. At 20 he joined the band Sierra Maestra, masters of the Cuban son style, as well as recording, performing and touring with such prestigious Cuban names as Buena Vista Social Club and Barbarito Torres. At 25, He graduated from The College of Arts in Havana.
In 2014 he moved to London, taking with him his expertise in Cuban improvisation and arrangement. He has been playing the trumpet for international stars like Madonna, Damon Albarn and Michael Kiwanuka, as well as artists in the UK jazz scene like Moses Boyd and Yussef Kamaal.
His music is alive with the vibrancy of Cuban music matched with the eclectic sounds of the UK’s current jazz scene.
Valdés be supported by DJ Tim Garcia and Leeds-based 11-piece group Ancient Infinity Orchestra, who released their latest album ‘Solar Seasons’ in 2020. Their music will provide the perfect opening for Valdés with their multi-textured, cosmic sounds that reminds the listener of the place in space that Sun Ra and his Arkestra strove for.
The gig will constitute a new run of nights put on by saxophonist and DJ Henry Weekes, following on from the successes of Speak No Evil and Brazilian Wax, the latter starting off in Leeds and expanding nationally.
Hyde Park Book Club Records will present the gig, a label who have helped to nurture the jazz scene of Leeds with the releases of Mansion of Snakes, Vipertime and Skwid Ink.
Yelfris Valdés and his fantastic support acts will be at Hyde Park Book Club from 7:30pm. In a night that will offer everything from the textured soundscapes of Ancient Infinity Orchestra to the unrelenting grooves of Yelfris Valdés, it's not one to be missed.
Get your tickets here.
Check out Ally's rapid review of Yelfris's For the Ones... here.
You can keep up-to-date with Yelfris Valdés via his website and socials: