Led by Jesus Chucho
Valdez, pianist and arranger, the Cuban jazz group Irakere were founded in Havana around 1973 and are among the island-nation's best-known musical exports. In fact, Irakere have been heralded by some as one of the best big bands in the world.
Irakere evolved from the son tradition, which developed in Cuba in the late 19th century, and origi-nated as a small ensemble playing folk music. Gradually, Irakere moved further into jazz and combined salsa with...