Pedrito Martinez - Show 1

Grammy-winning percussionist Pedrito Martinez makes his debut appearance at Bleecker Bell, ensuring to thrill the audience with electrifying rhythms, powerful vocals, and infectious energy. Widely regarded as the greatest living Afro-Cuban percussionist, Martinez has collaborated with artists ranging from Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen to Wynton Marsalis. His ensemble transforms every performance into a celebration of dance, heritage, and improvisation, turning rhythm into pure joy and making it impossible to sit still. A Festival favorite, this is an evening of unforgettable music, irresistible grooves, and singular spontaneity. About Pedrito Martinez Pedrito Martinez is an internationally acclaimed percussionist, singer, and bandleader widely recognized as one of the leading ambassadors of Afro-Cuban music. Raised in Havana’s Cayo Hueso neighborhood, where rumba is a way of life, he developed a deep foundation in Afro-Cuban traditions and their African origins. The New York Times has hailed him as “a source of rhythmic delight…as close as traditional Afro-Cuban music has to a superstar.” Since settling in New York City, Martinez has recorded and performed with an extraordinary range of artists, including Paul Simon, Wynton Marsalis, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Rubén Blades, Eric Clapton, and Camila Cabello, contributing to more than 75 albums. A founding member of the influential Afro-Cuban/Afrobeat band Yerba Buena, he launched The Pedrito Martinez Group in 2005, earning Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations. Frequently named Jazz Percussionist of the Year in critics’ polls, Martinez continues to tour worldwide, celebrated for his virtuosity, rhythmic power, and charismatic stage presence.