Breaking News! Pedrito Martinez Coming to Symphony Space!

Recently we experienced a real coup: Pedrito Martinez, one of the great Afro-Cuban percussionists of our time, confirmed he’ll be performing at Symphony Space in May for the Source Project, an initiative that celebrates the influence of Africa on new world cultures. The show will be a CD pre-release party of his much anticipated second CD, Habana Dreams.

Joining him and his band in the Sharp Theatre will be a host of friends who also perform on Habana Dreams, including the legendary Cuban-based singer Issac Delgado in a rare New York appearance. Issac is a Cuban rockstar and we’re incredibly excited for him to join Pedrito on stage.

For those who don’t know about Pedrito, I thought I’d share some of his work with you.

Pedrito is a fantastically talented percussionist and his group is a rocking dance band. Here’s the song “Conciencia” from his first CD, released in 2013.

In addition to his vibrant musical career, Pedrito is also a Santería priest. (Santería is an Afro-Cuban religion that grew out of the Cuban slave trade, and is based in African Yoruba and Roman Catholic beliefs.) Here Pedrito talks a little about the influence of Santeria on him and his music.

Can you see why Pedrito is a perfect fit for our first installment of The Source Project?

Put on your dancing shoes and I’ll see you on May 8!