Irakere

Irakere (Yoruba for "vegetation") is a Cuban band founded by pianist Chucho Valdés in 1973 that won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording in 1980 with its album Irakere. The original members of the band were Chucho Valdes (piano and conducron), Paquito D'Rivera (alto saxophone and flute), Oscar Valdes (percussion and vocals), Carlos Puerto (bass), Carlos Emilio (guitar), Jorge Varone (trumpet), Tato Alfonso (percussion) and Bernardo Garcia (drums). Its later members included flautist José Luis Cortés who later founded NG La Banda, percussionist Anga Díaz, who later went to France; percussionist Fran Padilla, who later moved to Spain; saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera, who left Irakere and Cuba in 1980 during a tour in Spain before moving to the United States; and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, who went to the US in 1990.

The group used a wide array of percussion instruments like batá, abacuá and arará drums, chequerés, erikundis, maracas, claves, cencerros, bongó, tumbadoras, and güiro.