User:Adjoajo/Pedrito

Pedrito Martinez is an Afro-Cuban percussionist, drummer, singer, and bandleader. He was born and raised in Havana, Cuba. He is a Cuban Conguero performing traditional Afro-Cuban folkloric and religious music. He is a Santería priest. He came to the United States from Havana in 1998. He plays the Batá drum, Conga, Cajón, Timbale, and Bongo drums. 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.

Martinez has performed in over one hundred recordings with various artists. He is a member of the Nuevo Jazz Latino program a part of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Early Life
Martinez began his musical career at the age of eleven performing with Cuban artist Tata Guines and Munequitos de Matanzas.

Career
Martinez is the bandleader for the Pedrito Martinez Group. It is a four member musical group that was formed in 2005. The Pedrito Martinez Group includes Pedrito Martinez, Ariacne Trujillo, Jhair Sala, and Alvaro Benavides. They perform regularly at the Guantanamera, in Manhattan. In 2000 he was featured in the documentary film called Calle 54. He has performed with Steve Turre, Bill Summers and Los Hombres Calientes, Cassandra Wilson, Joe Lovano and Sting, Brian Lynch (musician), Stefon Harris, Jane Bunnett, Paul Simon, Issac Delgado, Eliane Elias, Stefon Harris,  Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Conrad Herwig, Edie Brickell,  Eddie Palmieri, Wynton Marsalis, Alfredo Rodríguez (pianist born 1985), and Elton John.

He has performed with the Yerba Buena (band).

2017 - Jazz Fest, New Orleans, Louisiana

2017 - Spoleto Festival, Charleston, South Carolina

2014-15 - Jazz at Lincoln Center season world premiere of Ochas for a big band with Afro-Cuban percussionist Petrito Martinez with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

2012 - Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.

Albums

 * 2013 - "Habana Dreams". Guest artists on the album are; Wynton Marsalis, Ruben Blades, John Scofield, and Angélique Kidjo.
 * 2013 - Rumba De La Isla

Awards

 * 2000 - Winner of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Afro-Latin Hand Drum Competition
 * 2018 - The Jazz Journalists Association's Percussionist of the Year for four years in a row, and by Critics Poll JazzTimes magazine.