Pedrito Martinez

Cuban-born percussionist Pedrito Martinez is an acclaimed musician who plays a dynamic mix of traditional Cuban rhumba, Afro-Latin jazz, and Spanish flamenco music. Martinez initially grabbed attention after moving to New York in the late '90s and playing with the Yerba Buena collective, Claudia Acuña, Mark Weinstein, and others. He has also won praise for his solo work, including garnering a Grammy nomination for 2013's Pedrito Martinez Group. Habana Dreams, his second album with the group, arrived in 2016, followed by 2019's Duologue with pianist Alfredo Rodríguez. In 2025, he collaborated with Snarky Puppy's Michael League and drummer Antonio Sánchez on Elipsis.