Biography
Amadito Valdés is a Cuban timbalero and percussionist. Born Amado Valdés on 14 February 1946 in Havana, he studied music with his father, a jazz saxophonist, and later at the Alejandro García Caturla Conservatory, where he developed an improvisational style on the timbales combining Afro-Cuban rhythms with son syncopation.
In the 1960s he became the timbalero for the vocal quartet Las d'Aida, a role he held for nearly three decades. In 1996 he joined the Buena Vista Social Club project, performing on the recordings and appearing as Self in the 1999 documentary film Buena Vista Social Club directed by Wim Wenders. He has also worked with Juan de Marcos González's Afro-Cuban All Stars and pianist Rubén González.
His solo album Bajando Gervasio received a Grammy nomination for Best Tropical Latin Album in 2004.
