Bebo Valdes March 2, 2007

A top-notch pianist/composer/arranger, Ramon "Bebo" Valdes (father of pianist Chucho Valdes) was the musical director of nightclub shows at the Tropicana in Havana by 1948. Very active in the 1950s, Valdes was considered one of the giants of Cuban music, arranging many recordings, composing mambos, and organizing Afro-Cuban jazz jam sessions. Well into his '80s, he's still going strong.