Nouveaux albums

Félix Valoy

Félix Valoy

Biographie

Félix Baloy Valdés Sautiz was born on November 20, 1944 in Mayarí, the eastern region in Cuba. His grandmother lived in Havana, very close to the legendary Ali Bar, place where Benny Moré frequently performed. Félix Baloy was raised there and, as a child, he used to climb the perimeter fence every night to see and listen to the greatest Cuban singers.
A close family friend discovered the boy"s talent and recommended him to the head of a local band. By the end of the 1950s, he sang with a group called "Mi Amparo". He was employed as railway worker and shoemaker, among other jobs.
In the mid-1970s, Félix Baloy joined several prominent groups as singer. Elio Revé (a musician with a great ability to discover new talents who also supported Juan Formell and Juan Carlos Alfonso) was so impressed with Baloy that he decided to include him in his orchestra. Félix Baloy stayed with Elio Revé for a short while, but his reputation as good sonero spread like wildfir e. Afterwards, he joined the "Tropicuba" group singing together with Raúl Planas. However, he soon left this group and joined the "Son 14" orchestra led by Master Adalberto Alvarez in Santiago de Cuba. During this period, his popularity as one of the best Cuban son performer consolidated thus becoming one of the most demanded singers, so he returned to "Elio Revé y su Charangón" orchestra, now as the leading voice.
In 1983, as a singer, he joined Adalberto`s new orchestra, known as "Adalberto Alvarez y su son" orchestra which soon became one of the leading son bands both in the country and abroad. He stayed with this orchestra for almost a decade.
During the 1990s, he was permanent singer in the Ali Bar. This represented a touching return to his origins, to the place where, as a child, he listened to Benny Moré for the first time.
In 1996, he was called by Juan de Marcos González who hired him to join the Afro-Cuban All Star. With this group he recorded and toured again across the world accompanied by eminent Cuban musicians like Daniel Ramos, Yanko Pizaco, Alejandro Pichardo and Yaure Muñiz (trumpets), Jesús "Aguaje" Ramos and Alberto "Molote" Muñoz (trombones), Javier Zalba (flute and baritone sax), David Alfaro (piano), Ricardo Muñoz (bass), "Filiberto" Sánchez (timba), Alberto Virgilio Valdés (maracas), Enrique Lazaga (guiro) and Juan de Marcos himself (tres, guitars, choir and arrangements), besides percussion expert Arístides "Tata Guines" Soto.
Félix Baloy`s contribution to the success of the Afro-Cuban All Star orchestra is well known for his unique charisma and his incredible talent acclaimed by all audiences. Félix Baloy`s performances together with these "all stars" constitute a compulsory reference for every son singer.
In the year 2000, he recorded his first CD as soloist, entitled "Baila Mi Son" and produced by Juan de Marcos. This CD became a classic of Cuban music at international level.
Having a career as singer for more than 40 years, Félix Baloy`s unique timbre, so rhythmic and seductive, defines him as one of the most outstanding Cuban son performers today and a genuine artist at the summit of his career.