Orlando "Maraca" Valle

Orlando "Maraca" Valle was born in Havana, Cuba, in September 1966. He grew up in a family of musicians and started to study the flute at the age of ten. In 1988, Maraca was asked to join his first professional group, Irakere. Irakere, very famous both in Cuba and throughout Latin America, was founded in 1973 by Chucho Valdés and Paquito D'Rivera. He worked in Irakere as a flutist, keyboard player, and arranger and through the group was introduced to a host of internationally known jazz and Latin musicians, including Dizzie Gillespie, Paquito D'Rivera, and Chick Corea. He stay...