Miguelito Valdés

During more than five decades of performing, the vocal innovations of Miguelito Valdes made him one of Latin music's most popular artists. He started singing in 1927 with a few amateur groups, then decided music was his career while in Panama during the early '30s. In June 1937, Valdes was the vocalist for the corporation Casino de la Playa Orchestra, which was among Cuba's five most popular orchestras. He left Cuba for New York City in April 1940, and joined the Xavier Cugat band at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. The spot earned him a lot of fame, enough so that he could start hi...