Legendary conga player Carlos ‘Patato’ Valdes died of complications due to emphysema yesterday. Patato became short of breath while flying home to New York from a gig in San Francisco with legendary drummers Cándido Camero and Giovanni Hidalgo on November 12 and was hospitalized during an emergency stop in Cleveland. He died there last night. He was 81.

He told me that he couldn’t breathe,” said Camero, his longtime buddy, whom he met in Cuba six decades ago.

The plane made an emergency stop in Cleveland and the musician was checked into a hospital, where he died Tuesday night, said Jessie Ramírez, Valdés’ manager. “The doctor told me that he raised his arms and said, ‘I’m joining you, changó [an Afro-Cuban deity],” Ramírez said. “He was a major league smoker; that was what hurt him the most.”

See, kids? Don’t smoke or you could end up spending your last days in Cleveland. Our thoughts go to Patato’s family. Patato himself is no doubt jamming with Chango in heaven right about now.

Patato Valdes, Cuban conga king, dies [New York Daily News]