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 For
over 60 years Carlos "Patato" Valdez demonstrated how a musician
could combine technical skill with superb showmanship. His conga playing
demonstrated the fusing of melody and rhythm, and his keen understanding
of rhythm is rooted in dancing. Patato even mastered the art of actually
dancing ON TOP of his congas during his performances, to the delight
of the audience.
Valdez dazzled an audience well into his seventies with his rumba
moves. He's also is the man who gave Brigitte Bardot a mambo lesson
in the film “And God Created Woman”. Valdez also expressed
his understanding of melody through bass and tres, the Cuban folk guitar.
Valdez' understanding of melodic percussion was well ahead of his
time and his technique required advances in drum technology. During
the late 1940's he helped develop the first tunable congas, as earlier
models were tuned by the unwieldy method of heating them with a sterno
can. His interest in design, as well as his friendship with LP
Founder Martin Cohen, led to the development of the LP
Patato Model Congas,
one of the top-selling conga drums of all time.
It is Valdez' spontaneity and charm that enabled him to draw audiences
from vastly different backgrounds and cultures into the irresistible
Afro-Cuban rhythms which he created. Patato will be remembered by all
as a giant of a man, and his spirit shall live forever through his
music.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON "PATATO" PLEASE CLICK HERE.
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