He born in the Havana neighborhood of Key West , in the municipality of Centro Habana province Havana , on January 10 of 1921 , in a family of noted musicians.
He was a singer in the National Septet, the Charanga of Cheo Belén Puig and Cosmopolita Orchestra. In 1944 he travels to Mexico , where they begin their first recordings with Perles, and two years later to New York , where he works for the development of the American label Seeco. In that city Vicentico worked with major orchestras Puerto Rican Noro Morales and the famous pailero Tito Puentes . Another genre to which he devoted much space, in addition to the bolero was the mambo.
In 1953 he recorded in Havana with the Sonora Matancera, and the following year he had his own orchestra. Thereafter he would remain in the public's preference, especially Latin American. He died in New York on June 26th of 1995 .
Youth
Vicentico with friends
Within a family of notable musicians, like his brothers Marcelino Valdés and Oscar Valdes , drummers, and also great singer Alfredito Valdes . This family context clearly influenced him, and then participates as a singer in two major groups of Cuban music: the National Septet and Cheo Belen Puig Charanga, interpreting them sones, guarachas and danzon, but ventured into other formats like It was the case of Cosmopolitan Orchestra a jazz band.
In 1944 he travels to Mexico, where he sang with several orchestras and begin his first recordings with Peerless signature. Were dozens of pieces, almost all of upbeat music, as guarachas and sounds and is curious because at this stage still had not decided to sing boleros to the fullest, but that included a haphazard way to his repertoire.
Years later he travels to New York, American city where a significant proportion of Cuban music developed and work there for Seeco major American label, which he produced. In this city it is worth noting the presence of a large Puerto Rican population, fervent and avid consumer of our music, which made possible the emergence of a musical explosion that involved both Puerto Ricans and Cuban musicians and orchestras. This enabled the development of great musicians and singers like Chico OFarrill , Mario Bauza , Panchito Reset , Orlando Vallejo , Antonio Machin or Conjunto Caney , of Fernando Storch , just to mention some of the highlights.
Vicentico and Sonora Matancera
Vicentico work in New York with two of the most important Puerto Rican orchestras of Noro Morales ( 1947 ) and the famous pailero Tito Puente ( 1949 ). In the early 50s he made several recordings with them, where and boleros in his repertoire had greater presence; also covers of songs by other countries like "La vie en rose": a custom that maintained throughout his long career, which would record about 50 discs. Another genre to which he devoted much space was the mambo , who triumphed in those years, especially in the continent thanks to another famous Cuban, Matanzas Damaso Perez Prado , who has wreaked havoc especially in Mexico and Havana.
In 1953 he recorded in Havana with the Sonora Matancera and the following year, he had his own orchestra in New York. Thereafter it will remain in the public's preference, especially in Latin America, to the late 80. Cuba maintained a daily half-hour program in the COCO, though claimed by the capital's other radio listeners and even provincial.
Like all great bolero singers, their quality was not based only on the tessitura of her voice, but above all, in his acting ability, in the skit he did when he sang. Comparing his voice with other names like Orlando Vallejo, Nico Membiela , Orlando Contreras , and the legendary Benny More , his was decidedly nasal, but not as much as those of his colleagues and friends Panchito Riset and Antonio Machin , who like him, and in those years, they were in the US.
Source - http://www.ecured.cu/index.php/Vicentico_Vald%C3%A9s