Uptown Nights: Pedrito Martinez "Rumba Con Fundamento"

In this special uptown collaboration, Harlem Stage and the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) unite to present world-renowned Cuban percussionist and vocalist Pedrito Martinez, in a special program that celebrates Martinez's musical path from Afro-Cuban rumba to high-energy timba.

With roots planted in the rumba tradition, Martinez grew up in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood of Havana, where he would sit for hours, intently watching the aging "rumberos" in the park across from his house, while they played this African-derived, folkloric tradition combining percussion, song, and dance. Since then, Martinez has evolved into a distinctive and inventive musician whose "intention [is] to mine Afro-Cuban folkloric roots in the service of innovative musical ends" (The Wall Street Journal). The ensemble features musicians from throughout Latin America, with Martinez on percussion and lead vocals, Issac Delgado, Jr. on keyboard, Sebastian Natal on bass, Manuel Marquezon percussion, and Xito Lovell on trombone. Join us at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse to experience Martinez's new work, Rumba Con Fundamento.