Pedrito Martinez Group

“The Pedrito Martinez Group is writing a new chapter in Cuban music history” — NPR All Things Considered

“Since arriving in the United States at the end of the 1990s, Cuban percussionist Pedro Martinez drums, singing and writing bring a complex, blenderized Africa-to-the-New-World funk – he’s an incomparable performer.” — Ben Ratliff, New York Times

Pedro Pablo “Pedrito” Martinez was born in Havana, Cuba, Sept 12, 1973. Having settled in New York City in the fall of 1998, by 2000, he had been awarded the Thelonius Monk Award for Afro-Latin Hand Percussion.

Pedrito has recorded or performed with Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, and Sting and has contributed, as a percussionist and vocalist, to over 50 albums.   

Pedrito’s career as a leader began in 2005 with the formation in NYC of The Pedrito Martinez Group. The group’s Grammy-nominated first album was released October, 2013 and was chosen among NPR’s Favorite Albums of 2013 and The Boston Globe Critics Top Ten Albums of 2013.  

Habana Dreams, PMG’s second album, was released in June 2016. Accolades for Habana Dreams include #1 Latin Jazz Album in NPR’s Jazz Critics Top Jazz Albums for 2016 and being named among Boston Globe World Music Albums for 2016.