PEDRITO MARTINEZ
- Montclair Jazz Festival
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Pedro Pablo “Pedrito” Martinez was born in Havana, Cuba in 1973 in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood of Old Havana, and began his musical career at the age of 11. Since settling in New York City in 1998, Pedrito has recorded or performed with Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Paquito D’Rivera, Chucho Valdez, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Palmieri, Dave Matthews, Jackson Browne, Elton John, James Taylor and Sting, and has contributed to well over 100 albums. A consummate master of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and the batá drum, he is also the world’s first-call rumbero—playing, singing, and dancing with dozens of Cuban rumba groups and contributing to, or appearing in, several important films, including “Calle 54” and “Chico and Rita.”
Pedrito was a founding member of the highly successful, Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat band, Yerba Buena, with which he recorded two albums and toured the world in the mid- to late-90’s.
Mr. Martinez’s career as a leader began in 2005 with the formation in NYC of the The Pedrito Martinez Group. The group’s first, self-titled, studio album, was released in 2013, was nominated for a Grammy, and was chosen among NPR’s Favorite Albums of year and The Boston Globe Critics Top 10 Albums.
Habana Dreams, their second album, recorded largely in Cuba, was released in 2016. Guests include Ruben Blades, Isaac Delgado, Wynton Marsalis, Angelique Kidjo. In 2019, Pedrito and Cuban pianist, Alfredo Rodriguez, released a duo album with Quincy Jones executive producer called Duologue to critical acclaim and was selected by NPR for a “First Listen.” Also in 2019, Pedrito and Eric Clapton recorded a newly arranged version of Clapton’s song, My Father’s Eyes for a new Pedrito Martinez album, called Acertijos (Riddles). Pedrito and Clapton performed the song together at Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas. In 2020, at the Beacon Theater in NYC, Pedrito had the honor of performing as special guest, with Dave Matthews, Jackson Browne, and The Tedeschi Trucks Band, for a benefit concert called Love Rocks NYC. Pedrito began releasing singles that were recorded for the album, Acertijos--starting with Yo Si Quiero, an original by Isaac Delgado Jr, Mitchell Delgado, and Pedrito, followed by My Father’s Eyes, a duet with Eric Clapton.