Irakere

Irakere (faux-Yoruba for 'forest' ) is a Cuban band founded by pianist Chucho Valdés (son of Bebo Valdés) in 1973.They won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording in 1980 with their album Irakere.Irakere was a seminal musical laboratory, where historic innovations in both Afro-Cuban jazz and Cuban popular dance music were created.The group used a wide array of percussion instruments like batá, abakuá and arará drums, chequerés, erikundis, maracas, claves, cencerros, bongó, tumbadoras (congas), and güiro.