There's Percussion Tonight! Duke Ensembles in Concert with Melena Valdez

Looking for a free concert of lively music Friday night? Bradley Simmons will direct the Duke Djembe and Afro-Cuban Ensembles in a performance with guest artist Melena Valdez at 8 pm Friday in Baldwin Auditorium.

The Department of Music concert is free and open to the public.

Born in Havana, Cuba, Melena Valdez is a multi-talented percussionist who plays congas, timbales, bata drums, and shekere. She studied privately with the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba as well as with the many gifted percussionists on the island.

She has toured, performed, and recorded with legendary artists such as Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Macy Gray, Julio Iglesias, Oscar Hernandez (Musical Director of Spanish Harlem Orchestra), Afro Cuban All Stars, and Cuba's national treasure the Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro.