VIFF Review: Old Man Bebo

Old Man Bebo
Granville 7 Theatre 2
Thursday, September 25 2008 6:45pm

Just days away from his 90th birthday, Bebo Valdés has earned the moniker of old man with his storied life, and solid musicianship. That musical talent earned him the nickname of Big Stallion in his younger days in 1950s Havana.

As a great pianist, arranger, and composer he fused together traditional Cuban music with jazz and classical influences. His skills put him in the position of band leader at the legendary Tropicana Club during the golden age of Cuban music. The Tropicana played host to many American jazz greats like Stan Getz, Josephine Baker, and Nat King Cole. For Cole's Latin music album, Bebo teaches Cole to sing in Spanish, but as he wryly comments Cole could never quite get his pronunciation of T's and O's right.

In this age of air travel hell it is amazing to find out that the Tropicana chartered flights between Miami and Havana with their musicians and dancers on board to entertain the passengers. A hardly imaginable party in the sky as warm-up to your visit to the Tropicana Club.

Bebo's celebrity life ends with the Cuban Revolution. His reluctance to get involved politically and join the Communist Party causes him to be shunned and unable to work. The last straw is a bomb going off in the night club nearly killing him. He leaves Cuba penniless with some other musicians for Mexico.

Being famous, he lands on his feet playing in Mexico and touring Europe. He winds up in Sweden where he meets his wife Rose Marie and settles down. For over 30 years, he lives a life of contented domestic obscurity playing in restaurants and bars, and working as a pianist for a ballet school.

He is rediscovered by a record producer in 1994 and goes on to record several Grammy Award winning albums. His release from obscurity also allows him to reunite with his estranged children left behind in Cuba. This culminates with performing and recording with his equally talented son Chucho Valdés.

Approaching his 90th year he is vital and leads a band of New York's finest Latin and jazz musicians on an album. He stars in the film Miracle of Candeal documenting his journey to Brazil to discover the African ancestry of his music.

The first half of this film documenting the earlier part of his life is a bit dull. There are interviews with family and friends which results in lots of talking heads, but barely any music. It may be there were no recordings of his early works but it would have been more interesting to have period Cuban music in the background to flesh out the narrative.

The second half of the film documenting his rediscovery and triumphant rebirth is very enjoyable for both the fantastic music, and Bebo's passion for life. The sparkling Cuban jazz performances are worth sitting through the school lecture.