Having just turned forty, Havana born Pedro Pablo “Pedrito” Martinez (born 2 September 1973) has close to three decades worth of experience in the world of Latin percussion and vocals, half of it spent in North America after he was brought to Canada in 1998 to work with Jane Bunnett and her group, Spirits of Havana. Two years later he won the Afro-Latin Hand Drumming showcase the first time it was included in the annual Thelonious Monk Institute Competition. That’s a fairly impressive wrap given what one assumes would have been rather stiff competition.
From there he’s based himself in New York City, and performed, recorded, and toured with a rather dazzling array of artists, with Me’shell Ndege’Ocello, Eddie Palmieri, Los Hombres Calientes, Cassandra Wilson and Sting being the ones on the list I sort of recognized.
He was also featured in the Calle 54 documentary on Cuban music, turned up on the soundtrack of the Academy Award nominated animated feature, Chico and Rita and held down a gig with Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat band Yerba Buena, a recent addition to Hughesy’s investigate these list.
Links:
Pedrito Martinez Redefines the "Restaurant Gig"
Discography:
Pedrito Martinez Rumba de la Isla (2013)
Pedrito Martinez Group The Pedrito Martinez Group (2013)