Chucho Valdés Royal Quartet

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One of the most influential figures in the world of Latin and Afro-Cuban jazz.

—National Endowment for the Arts

In his 80s, Valdés still displays the bottomless fountain of creativity with small group performances.

—NPR

Cuban pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader Chucho Valdés is one of the most influential figures in modern Afro-Cuban jazz. Accolades from his 60-year career include seven Grammys, six Latin Grammys, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He is a member of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2025, he was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Valdés’s Royal Quartet brings together a masterful lineup of Cuban-born instrumentalists, including bassist José Armando Gola, who’s known for his lengthy collaboration with Gonzalo Rubalcaba; ambidextrous marvel Horacio “El Negro” Hernández on drums; and percussionist Roberto Jr. Vizcaino, the son of longtime Valdés associate Roberto Vizcaino.
The band’s Grammy-nominated debut, Cuba and Beyond, is packed with a collection of the Valdés’s fiery compositions as well as inventive takes on the works of Chick Corea and Pedro Junco.