In 1981 and 1982, Giselda, became a member of the quartet "MELODÍA AZUL", performing Cuban bolero, tangos and international music at the famous Monseigneur restaurant. The quartet had Giselda on violin, an accordion player, a singer and Georgina LÓPEZ, the sister of famed "Cachao" LOPEZ, on bass. They participated in a Festival de Tangos y Boleros.

Giselda with Melodia Azul.

Giselda then leaves the quartet to continue her graduate studies at the ISA (Superior Institute of the Arts) which ended in 1991. Then as a member of the National Symphony Orchestra directed by great conductors, she traveled the world: Nicaragua, Mexico, USSR, Poland, Yugoslavia and Spain. She participates in Festivales de Ballet, Festivales de Guitarra, Temporadas de Opera until 1996.

At the same time, starting in 1991, Giselda joins her sister, Zoe FUENTES in a band she had organized two years earlier: "CANELA", an all-women band playing traditional Cuban music. She learns how to play the electric bass and takes classes with maestros Carlos del PUERTO, Jerry Spartacus, Luis MANRESA, Victoriano NAPOLES. During this time she works in the morning with the symphony orchestra and in the afternoon changes her violin for the electric bass. Giselda creates a personal style based on the use of the left hand inspired by the violin and the right hand inspired by the work of the electric bass. This technique allows one to master difficult pieces. Her brother Jesus FUENTES, who writes the arrangements and plays saxophone for “CANELA”, writes complicated parts for her that she masters to perfection. Among them is an introduction to the theme "Capulito de Alleli" and the theme "Latin Woman". Giselda also does arrangements for the group, among other songs, for the theme "Flor de Canela". She participates in all the concerts and tours of the group and all of the recordings.

The activities of "CANELA" become increasingly important for the bassist who now leaves the Symphony Orchestra to dedicate herself totally to the group. She does not abandon the practice of her instrument the violin and urges her son Julio VALDÉS also to study violin at the Conservatory. In 1995 she played the violin for the band’s first album, Llegó el momento. For the 10 year anniversary of the band, Giselda performed alongside violinists Lazaro Dagoberto GONZÁLEZ and Rafael LAY as guest artists, the famous song "Perla Marina" during the concert at the Sala Avellaneda of the National Theater in Havana. In 1999 she played bass in the American group "Ellas", led by percussionist Donna Bostok, during the Festival Percuba.

In 2003 and she played for six months with the company Dr. Dante in the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen and played both the violin and bass but also worked as an actress!

Giselda violoniste à Copenhagen.

In 2008 besides continuing to play with "CANELA", Giselda joined the jazz quintet her brother Jesús founded in 1997 under the name "LATIN JAZZ PROJECT and later restructured and renamed "SANTO TOMÁS CONNECTION" -a reference to the multiple Afro-Cuba religions, a theme of Sonny Rollins and the street where he lives. Giselda records with the group the album Isla de Sueños.

With her musical experience, Giselda began to organize and produce and direct all the main events of "CANELA" and those of her son Julito VALDÉS. The idea takes shape in 2011 for the PalafoxianoFestival in Puebla, Mexico. She assumes the artistic direction and stages the concert and then she presents it again during the Reinas del Mar concert at the Centro Hispanoamericano Center in Havana. He said that does same work for Radio Taino’s program A Buena Hora when "CANELA" or Julio are guests of their live concert shows. Giselda also directed, during a tour in Suriname, in 2015, the audio-visual "Faluma", based on a traditional Surinamese theme and also a video clip of the song “Llegando ", "Acariciame”

At the end of 2017 the production of Giselda FUENTES begins. The occasion is given by the arrival in Cuba of the Colombian singer Gregorio Uribe. He wants to record one of his songs with "CANELA" and asks Giselda for the production. Then the bassist organizes the session, finds a studio, sound technicians, video, lighting, authorizations, organizes transport, catering ... She has only three days to do everything and record "Salomé".

Giselda with Gregorio Uribe and the project team.

The following year, Giselda carried out several reports for the Mexican program Entre Mujeresand a new audiovisual "Panquelero" maker with Omara PORTUONDO. Also "La Negra Tomasa" from the CD A Lo Canela. In 2019, Cuban television dedicated a program Perfiles, tracing its career and that of Julito, and began the project of production of an audiovisual about the 30 years of "CANELA".

"Perfiles" program dedicated to Giselda.

Musically, in mid-2019, Giselda began collaborating with Pablo MENÉNDEZ and his band "MEZCLA" for the tribute to "Tata" GÜINES" at the Mella Gardens Theater.

Giselda with Pablo Menéndez in the Mella Garden Theater.

Discographie sélectionnée:
* Cf. CANELA.

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