Chucho Valdés and his Royal Quartet turn up the heat with “Congadanza.”

Watch the full concert by Chucho Valdés and his Royal Quartet on-demand - now with FREE TRIALS!: http://sfjazz.org/INSERT VANITY URL Love these videos? Support by becoming an SFJAZZ Member: https://www.sfjazz.org/join About this clip: Cuban piano legend Chucho Valdés and his Royal Quartet turn up the heat with this performance of Chucho’s composition “Congadanza” from his 2013 album “Border-Free” during their concert on June 12, 2026 — part of the SFJAZZ 2025-26 Season and broadcast on Fridays Live. Watch many other performances on SFJAZZ At Home: https://www.SFJAZZ.org/AtHome -- About this concert: The most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz for more than half a century, virtuoso pianist, composer and arranger Chucho Valdés celebrates 60 years of musical alchemy with the SFJAZZ premiere of his Royal Quartet project. The son of Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés, the winner of seven GRAMMYs and six Latin GRAMMY Awards joined Armando Romeu’s celebrated Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music in 1967, a time when the communist government still considered American jazz anti-revolutionary. He was already recognized as the most formidable pianist of his generation when he launched Irakere in 1973 with a phenomenal cast that included saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Over the ensuing years, Valdés has concentrated on his career as a solo artist, recording 25 albums and co-writing the landmark 2018 book Decoding Afro-Cuban Jazz in collaboration with SFJAZZ Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón. Valdés’s Royal Quartet brings together a masterful lineup of Cuban-born instrumentalists including bassist José Armando Gola, known for his lengthy collaboration with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, the ambidextrous marvel Horacio “El Negro” Hernández on drums, and percussionist Roberto Jr. Vizcaino, son of longtime Valdés associate Roberto Vizcaino. The band’s GRAMMY-winning debut, “Cuba & Beyond,” is packed with a collection of the leader’s fiery compositions as well as inventive takes on the work of Chick Corea and Pedro Junco. PERSONNEL: Chucho Valdés: piano José Armando Gola: bass Horacio “El Negro” Hernández: drums Roberto Jr. Vizcaino: percussion Learn more at SFJAZZ.org Subscribe to SFJAZZ's YouTube Channel:    / sfjazz   Like us on Facebook:   / sfjazz   Follow us on Instagram:   / sfjazz   If you enjoy the videos and concerts SFJAZZ posts every week, you can support this work by becoming an SFJAZZ Member. Members enjoy full access to SFJAZZ livestreams and our library of on-demand concerts featuring the greatest jazz artists in the world, early access to tickets at the SFJAZZ Center, exclusive events, discounts, and more! More information is available at the link below. Become an SFJAZZ Member today: https://www.sfjazz.org/join