“Pedrito is a genius”. Wynton Marsalis. Pedrito Martinez has earned the considerable esteem of audiences and colleagues in the Latin genre, and had great success in the Manhattan clubs since he left Cuba in 1998 and moved to New York. His latest project, “Echoes of Africa”, is a return to origins and will be performed in Terni.
He is a singer, percussionist, composer and producer. With his bands, he has performed music with lively rhythms following the best Caribbean tradition. However, Martinez doesn’t focus only on the sounds of his hometown. While in New York, he collected all the urban influences from rock, pop and jazz. This combination creates a “product” that seeks to offer a virtuous synthesis of two worlds. His music didn’t go unnoticed, and Pedrito Martinez was nominated for a Grammy, named “Percussionist of the Year”, and won the Monk Competition.
The audience of Umbria Jazz has seen him performing with his band and as a special guest with Quincy Jones and Angélique Kidjo.
After “Habana Dreams”, his second album, which can be considered a tribute to his city, his latest record, “Acertijos”, was nominated for a Grammy.
Martinez has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Paquito D’Rivera, Chucho Valdez, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Palmieri, Dave Matthews, Jackson Browne, Elton John, Sting, Eric Clapton, and has contributed to well over 100 albums.