After listening carefully to this CD, you will have a great appreciation for traditional Cuban music played in an authentic style by very talented musicians. When listening to the distinctive voice of Felix Valera Miranda, a huge connoisseur of the secrets of life, a standing figure of a centennial family dedicated to preserving the authenticity of traditional Cuban music, you can feel the love, devotion and respect he has for his art. He has been a joyful professor over the last 50 years, inspiring generations of musicians. Felix comes from a modest and profoundly patriotic family, from the Oriente (Eastern part of Cuba), in the Cauto River basin, near Las Tunas, Bayamo and Manzanillo, and his lineage is a blend of races and a melting-pot where Hispanic and African cultures met. Felix officially founded the sextet, La Familia Valera Miranda, in 1985 with his wife Carmen on maracas, his 3 sons - Enrique on cuatro, Raul on contrabass, Ernesto on bongos - and Radames Gonzalez on claves. Over the course of the years, the ensemble evolved to include a new member, Wilfredo Fuentes, on congas. Now, La FVM is a typical traditional septet that, in spite of their virtuosity, aims to preserve the archetypal sound of the traditional Cuban music. This emphasis on authenticity led to their popularity amongst a diverse group of international as well as Cuban fans and students devoted to the study and understanding of traditional Cuban music. This CD includes both original songs as well as those by other internationally acclaimed Cuban composers including Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, Eduardo Saborit, Simon Diaz & Mercedes Pedroso. They are arranged and performed in their very own way to pay homage to the music of such outstanding masters. Listen closely to the lyrics on these selected songs as they refer to different themes popular in Cuban folklore. They may allude to a woman’s beauty, criticize a bad attitude, include “pregones” or street vendor calls & make social or political commentaries. The use of humor in the form of puns & double entendres is very typical of Cuban Son. We hope you are able to appreciate the interlocking elements incorporated into these pieces & enjoy the CD as it was meant to be enjoyed. Recorded in Santiago de Cuba, in 2006, by Enrique Valera, this CD is a family affair from start to finish.