Program: The Pedrito Martinez Group

The Pedrito Martinez Group

Friday, June 30, 2023
City Winery

Pedrito Martinez — Percussion and Vocals 

Sebastian Natal — Bass and Vocals 

Issac Delgado Jr. — Keys and Vocals 

Keisel Jimenez — Percussion and Vocals 

Xito Lovell — Trombone and Vocals 

Cuban singer and percussionist Pedrito Martinez and his band have been a huge hit in Manhattan for well over a decade. A master of Cuban music, Martinez’s musical talent and onstage charisma have garnered numerous awards, including a Grammy nomination, Modern Drummer’s Percussionist of the Year, and a Thelonious Monk award for Afro-Latin Hand Percussion.  

Since settling in New York City in 1998, Pedrito Martinez has collaborated with Eric Clapton, Paquito D’Rivera, Sting, Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Palmieri, Cassandra Wilson, and many others. He 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, opening for Dave Matthews Band, Willie Nelson, and Ray Charles. He has been featured on over 100 records, supporting other artists such as Paquito D’Rivera, Issac Delgado, Eliane Elias, Stefon Harris, Steve Turre, Eddie Palmieri, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Edie Brickell, and many others. On February 1st, 2019, Martinez released Duologue, an album with Alfredo Rodriguez, and produced by Quincy Jones, which has garnered much attention and acclaim due to the high-level musicianship that was displayed by him and his collaborators.