On November 4,
legendary conguero Carlos
"Patato" Valdez, celebrated his birthday
at a party hosted by Charles Carlini at
the world famous Birdland Jazz Club in New
York City. Many celebrities, including Candido,
Ray Barretto, Dave Valentin, Jimmy
Delgado, Edy Martinez, John Walsh, Enrique
Fernandez, Oriente Lopez, and Andrea Brachfeld,
were there to honor him.
The early years of LP®
are intertwined with the talents of this
great musician. When we met during the 1960’s,
Patato took me under his wing, and introduced
me to the real world of Afro-Cuban music.
With his help, LP
created a line of drums. The fiberglass
congas were developed in 1978 after a recording
session with "Patato" at my home recording
studio. Patato's own design required tall
drums with a wide belly and small bottom.
For more information on the LP
Patato Model Congas, click here.
In 1979, I formed a group with Patato and
Tito
Puente that toured the world, and introduced
many audiences to Latin and Latin Jazz music.
Carlos
Kanno, of the Japanese band 'Orquesta
de la Luz', once told me that this band
shaped his musical career.
To see PHOTOS from this
event, please CLICK
HERE.
To see a Tribute Gallery and Soundtrack,
CLICK HERE.
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