www.maraca.cult.cu

Flautist, pianist, composer and arranger, Orlando Valle ‘MARACA’ was a child prodigy; at the early age of 10, he wrote his first song, a danzon for flute and piano. After achieving classical qualifications at the Amadeo Roldan conservatory and then at the High Academic Institute of Arts of Havana, he started his professional career at the age of 16 as flautist in the group of the late Cuban pianist Emiliano Salvador, then in Bobby Carcasses’ group, before entering as flautist, keyboards player and arranger, the world famous group IRAKERE, led by Chucho Valdes, where he remained for 6 years.

At the ripe age of 24, he decided to embark on his own career as a soloist and musical producer. That year he produced, composed and arranged much of the album, ‘Pasaporte’ by the Cuban percussionists Tata Guinesand Anga, followed by other prominent productions; he wrote and arranged several hit songs on the first and second Cubanismo albums, which led him to create his own group ‘Maraca and Otra Vision’ in 1996.

Throughout the years he has produced many important projects, contributing many compositions and arrangements of his own, for the world-famous Cape-Verdian singer, Cesaria Evora’s, ‘Café Atlantico’, the Afro-Cuban Jazz Project, the Japanese singer, Nora, the African, Monique Seka, the Venezuelan percussionist, Orlando Poleo, the Cuban pianist based in Paris, Alfredo Rodriguez, the Canadian, Jane Bunnett, Yumuri y Sus Hermanos, Leyanis Lopez and many more.

As guest flautist, he has participated in more than 40 different productions, including Afro-Cuban All-Stars (2nd Album), Frank Emilio Flynn, Caravana Cubana, Cesaria Evora (these 2 projects were nominated for a Grammy in 2000), Cubanismo, Orland Poleo, Havana Now, Havana Café I and II. Meanwhile, he’s been touring all over the USA, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean countries in the most prestigious clubs and festivals, sharing the stage with musical luminaries such as Tito Puente, Oscar D’Leon, El Canario, Celia Cruz, Wynton Marsalis, Natalie Cole, Giovanni Hidalgo, Cesaria Evora, Yuri Buenaventura, Andy Narell, Mongo Santamaria and many more.

Maraca has released 4 albums as a soloist: Descarga Total (2000), Sonando (1998/99), Havana Calling (1996/97) and Formula Uno (1995), and 2 professional video-clips, each one of them rewarded during national contests in Cuba and highly acclaimed by national and international critics.