By JIM WILKE
The cheerful sound of Cuban son music is featured in a concert performance on this week's Jazz Northwest. The concert was recorded earlier this month when the band played at The Seattle Art Museum as part of the Art of Jazz series presented by Earshot. It's sunny music and a perfect antidote for a rainy Seattle day.
Kiki Valera is considered by many to be Cuba's finest cuatro player and after 25 years directing La Familia Valera Miranda in Santiago de Cuba, he is now living in Seattle and working with his new Seattle band, Cubaché.
The seven member band includes cuatro, guitar, bass, congas and bongos with two lead singers who also play miscellaneous percussion. Most of the members also sing as the coros. The band played for a capacity audience and many were on their feet and dancing before the concert was over.