Bebo Valdés, born Dionisio Ramón Emilio Valdés Amaro in 1918 in Quivicán, Cuba, was a pioneering Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer, and arranger who shaped the golden age of Cuban music. Renowned for his innovative big band arrangements and for creating the batanga rhythm in 1952, Bebo played a fundamental role in Afro-Cuban jazz and mambo's evolution. He led prestigious ensembles like the Radio Mil Diez house band and the Tropicana Club orchestra before founding his own group, Orquesta Sabor de Cuba.
After leaving Cuba in 1960, Bebo eventually settled in Sweden, where he revived his career in the 1990s through collaborations with jazz greats such as Paquito D'Rivera and Diego El Cigala. He earned multiple Grammy Awards and Latin Grammy Awards for his rich fusion of Cuban rhythms and jazz. His legacy lives on not only through his influential recordings but also through his son Chucho Valdés, a celebrated pianist and bandleader.