Kiki Valera's personal story is one that has every interesting element in it.The son of a Cuban music teacher with a musical family, Kiki began world touring at an early age with his dad's ensemble. His family recorded and became Cuba's official musical ambassadors to the world in 1982. As a young musician, Kiki listened intently to the cassettes of Wes Montgomery and others which had to be smuggled into Cuba in those early days of his musical life. Kiki decided to play the CUATRO after mastering other foundational Cuban folk instruments and also attending college as an electrical engineering student.