Photo courtesy of Cristian Muñoz

instrumento/instrument: voz/voice

grupos/groups: Los Van Van, NG La Banda

grabaciones/recordings: NG La Banda: Baila conmigo, NG La Banda: Veneno

lugar de nacimiento/birthplace: ?

formación musical/musical background: ?

lugar actual de residencia/current residence: La Habana

Yeni Valdés is the first woman member of the most famous and longest-running Timba band, Los Van Van. She was also the first woman member of the second most famous and second longest running Timba band, NG La Banda!

She's a strong lead vocalist and corista but is perhaps most highly regarded as an improviser. With NG she was sometimes known to walk out among the tables and dance floor with a cordless microphone and improvise for 20 minutes straight, interracting with the crowd and inventing her guías in reaction to their reactions.