Arturo O Farrill

Arturo O'Farrill whose full name is Arturo O'Farrill Valero, is a musician. He was born to Lupe Valero who ws a singer, and Chico O'Farrill, a composer and jazz trumpeter, in Mexico City, Mexico, on June 22, 1960. When Arturo turned five, his family migrated to New York.

There Chico started to work with the program of CBS named Festival of Lively Arts as a music director. While working there, he became acquainted with jazz and Latin musicians like Stan Getz, Tito Puente, Count Basie, Celia Cruz, and much more.

As a result, Arturo became confused about his cultural identity. After the passing of a year Arturo's parents enrolled him in a piano class. Initially he hated going there but eventually warmed up to the instrument so much so that as soon as he became twelve-year-old he resolved to become a musician.

However, unlike his father who was a jazz specialist, he would listen to Chick Corea and Bud Powell. He studied music from LaGuardia High School for Music and Art, Manhattan School of Music, Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, and Aaron Copland School of Music. He bagged the Distinguished Alumnus Medal from Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College.

After graduating at the age of nineteen, Arturo started to perform at a local bar. During this time, Carla Bley noticed him and offered him a chance to play for her band. He accepted and stayed with the group for three years. Carla taught him to value the art rather than chase money.

Due to his talent, he started to get solo work from Lester Bowie, Dizzy Gillespie, Steve Turre, and Howard Johnson. In 1987, he became director of music for Harry Belafonte. After few years, Arturo became interested in Latin and took the help of Andy Gonzalez to record a song.

Andy and his brother Jerry decided to make Arturo the part of their band after Larry Willis left them. Later, he started to help his father and became the Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra's lead pianist and director. After his father's death, Arturo formed another band named Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and released several albums like Una Noche Inolvidable, Song for Chico, and much more.

They even performed at several music festivals. Simultaneously, he taught jazz at University of Massachusetts Amherst and the State University of New York at Purchase. Arturo has won several prestigious awards for his stellar work.

Arturo is married to Alison Deane, and the couple has two sons named Zachary and Adam O'Farrill. All three of them are instrumentalists.