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Cachao
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Pianists · 1918–2008

Cachao

Cuban double bassist and composer (1918–2008)

Born
14 September 1918
Havana
Died
22 March 2008
Coral Gables
Country
Cuba
Active
1926–
Discography
14 albums

Biography

Cachao was a jazz musician who played piano and double bass. Cachao was born on 14 September 1918 in Havana and died on 22 March 2008 in Coral Gables. The music is usually filed under mambo, son cubano and danzón. The discography here lists 14 albums, from “Descargas Cubanas” (1957) to “The Last Mambo: La Leyenda en vivo” (2011). Honours include Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame (1994), Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album (1995) and International Latin Music Hall of Fame (1999).

Israel López Valdés (September 14, 1918 – March 22, 2008), better known as Cachao ( kə-CHOW), was a Cuban double bassist and composer. Cachao is widely known as the co-creator of the mambo and a master of the descarga (improvised jam sessions). Throughout his career he also performed and recorded in a variety of music styles ranging from classical music to salsa. An exile in the United States since the 1960s, he only achieved international fame following a career revival in the 1990s. Born into a family of musicians in Havana, Cachao and his older brother Orestes were the driving force behind one of Cuba's most prolific charangas, Arcaño y sus Maravillas. As members of the Maravillas, Cachao and Orestes pioneered a new form of ballroom music derived from the danzón, the danzón-mambo, which subsequently developed into an international genre, mambo.

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Discography

Studio and live albums

Descargas Cubanas 1957
Jam Session With Feeling: Descargas cubanas 1958
Dos 1976
Maestro de maestros 1986
Master Sessions, Volume I 1994
Master Sessions, Volume II 1995
Superdanzones 1997
Cuba linda 2000
Descargas: Cuban Jam Sessions 2000 · Live
¡Ahora sí! 2004
The Last Mambo: La Leyenda en vivo 2011 · Live
Cuban Jam Sessions, Volume 2
Descarga
From Havana to New York

Awards

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Cachao play?

Cachao is known for playing piano and double bass.

When and where was Cachao born?

Cachao was born 14 September 1918 in Havana.

What are Cachao's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Descargas Cubanas (1957), Jam Session With Feeling: Descargas cubanas (1958), Dos (1976), Maestro de maestros (1986) and Master Sessions, Volume I (1994).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.