Chucho Valdes, the godfather of Cuban jazz ,will play two concerts in Ireland this summer in support of Una Corda, a charity founded by Galwegian Ciaran Ryan.
Five times Grammy award winner, Chucho has been the talisman for Afro-Cuban jazz for the last four decades. According to John Fordham in The Guardian: “[He] put Cuban jazz on the world map long before the Buena Vistas.”
Chucho will play a solo concert in the Cork School of Music on Monday July 20, and on Tuesday 21 Chucho and his new eight-piece band will play Vicar St in Dublin. Tickets for both concerts are available from www.ticketmaster.ie The concerts are in aid of Una Corda, which was founded in 2006 by An Spidéal based piano tuner Ciaran Ryan. In Cuba it is very difficult for the country’s musicians to keep their pianos in good condition due to the heat, climate, and termites.
The continuing US trade embargo also makes it impossible to obtain strings, hammers, and other spare parts required to keep pianos in good working order.
Mr Ryan was inspired by this, as well as the enthusiasm of a small group of young tuners whom he met in Cuba, to set up Una Corda - The Ireland/Cuba Piano Project. The organisation aims to train and equip student tuners, and is steadily gathering momentum as a dedicated charity.
To learn more about Una Corda see www.unacorda.org
