Pedrito Martinez

Pedrito Martinez is an Afro-Cuban percussionist, drummer, singer, dancer, bandleader, songwriter, composer, and educator.He was born and raised in Havana, Cuba.He is a Cuban Conguero performing classic Cuban Rumbas, Afro-Cuban folkloric and religious music.He is a Santería priest.He came to the United States of America from Havana in 1998.He plays the Batá drum, conga, cajón, timbale, and bongo drums.Pedrito learned his craft from the streets of Havana, Cuba.He has performed with Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo O’Farrill, Brian Lynch, and Bruce Springsteen.He settled in the New York City - New Jersey area in 2000. He is a founding member of the band Yerba Buena.They recorded two albums.In 2003, President Alien, and in 2005 their album Island Life was No. 62 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums Chart. He is a member of the Nuevo Jazz Latino program which is a part of Jazz at Lincoln Center. On Martinez's 2016 album titled "Habana Dreams" guest artists are Wynton Marsalis, Ruben Blades, John Scofield, and Angélique Kidjo).