Mayra Caridad Valdés

Cuban jazz vocalist Mayra Caridad Valdés devoted most of her musical career to live performance, singing as part of Irakere and also with her famous brother Chucho, before debuting as a recording artist in 2002. Born on April 20, 1956, to Bebo Valdés, a legendary Cuban jazz pianist, Mayra studied at the National Art School in Cuba and graduated in 1975 with a degree in choral music. She initially worked as a musicologist alongside Odilio Urfe but instead turned toward performing after Harry Belafonte invited her to perform with him in 1981 at his concerts in Cuba. Following th...