Bebo Valdes Dies

Bebo Valdes, 94, renowned Cuban pianist and bandleader, died of pneumonia in Stockholm, Sweden, March 22.

Stockholm has been his primary place of residence since 1963. Valdes was musical director at Havana’s legendary Tropicana Club and a key participant in the golden age of Cuban music, recording alongside Nat “King” Cole.

Following Fidel Castro’s communist revolution in 1959, Valdes left Cuba, traveling to Mexico in 1960. He lived in Stockholm until 2007 and often struggled to interest the locals in Cuban music and Latin jazz.