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Pedrito and Ariacne Trujillo from the Pedrito Martinez Group performs "La Havana" at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, held in Austin TX.

Pedrito Martinez, percussion and lead vocals
Ariacne Trujillo, piano and lead vocals

The Pedrito Martinez Group has its roots planted firmly in the Afro-Cuban Rumba tradition and in the bata rhythms and vocal chants of the music of Yoruba and Santeria. Ben Ratliff summed it up aptly for the New York Times (June 15, 2010) calling it, "complex, blenderized Africa-to-the-New-World funk."

With its formation in the current lineup in 2008, the group has developed into an extraordinarily tight and creative unit. With a home base gig in Midtown Manhattan, the group has built a fan base that includes Steve Gadd, Ravi Coltrane, Taj Mahal, Eric Clapton, John Scofield, Roger Waters, Derek Trucks, Herlin Riley, and Will Lee

ABOUT PEDRITO MARTINEZ:

Pedro Pablo "Pedrito" Martinez was born in Havana, Cuba, Sept 12, 1973. He began his musical career at the age of 11, performing as vocalist and percussionist with such Cuban legends as Tata Guines and Munequitos de Matanzas. He was brought to Canada in 1998, by Jane Bunnett, to tour with her group, Spirits of Havana. His decision to remain in North America to pursue his career, proved to be an auspicious one when, two years later, the annual Thelonious Monk Institute Competition showcased Afro-Latin Hand Drumming for the first time ever. Pedro entered and won first place.

Since settling in New York City in the fall of 1998, Pedrito has performed, recorded, and/or toured with Paquito D'Rivera; Brian Lynch; Steve Turre; Meshell Ndegeocello; Eddie Palmieri; Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill; Stefon Harris; Bebo Valdés; Cassandra Wilson; Joe Lovano, and Sting, (for his rainforest benefit, with Elton John and Bruce Springsteen), Paul Simon, and Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Pedrito was also featured in the documentary film on Cuban music, Calle 54 and his singing and percussion playing were featured in the 2011, animated feature, Chico and Rita. PMG have been featured in The New Yorker magazine and in the Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Martínez was a founding member of the highly successful, Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat band, Yerba Buena with which he recorded two albums and toured the world. Pedrito has lent his talents as a percussion player and vocalist to over one hundred records, including albums by Paquito d'Rivera, Issac Delgado, Eliane Elias, Stefon Harris, Steve Turre, Eddie Palmieri, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Edie Brickell and many others. These include six records that have been Grammy® nominated and one, a collaboration between Eddie Palmieri and Brian Lynch, called "Simpatico", that was awarded a Grammy®. PMG have appeared The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, The Umbria Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival and the Red Sea Festival, Bonnaroo, and Newport Jazz Fest, among many others.

The group has self-released two live albums recorded at their home gig in NYC. An album by Pedrito, called "Rumba de la Isla", featuring the music of the flamenco great, Camarone de la Isla was releases on Calle54/Sony in March of 2013. The group's first studio album was recorded recently for release on Motema Records in October 2013. It was produced by Pedrito Martinez and Steve Gadd, and features Gadd, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Schreiner and John Scofield as special guests.

TO SEE THE GROUP LIVE, VISIT PEDRITO ONLINE:
http://Facebook.com/Pedritomartinezmusic
http://pedritomartinezmusic.com

Part 4 of Michael Spiro's PASIC 2011 World Clinic/Performance entitled "It's Not a Waltz - Understanding the Triplet Feel in Afro-Centric Music". You can view the entire clinic and download the clinic handout at:
http://www.vicfirth.com/education/cli...

About Michael Spiro:

Michael Spiro is an internationally recognized percussionist, recording artist, and educator, known specifically for his work in the Latin music field. He has performed on thousands of records, co-produced and played on several instructional videos for Warner Bros. Publications, inlducing ones by Talking Drums, Changuito, Giovanni hidalgo, and Ignacio Berroa, and produced seminal recordings in the Latin music genre, including Orquesta Batachanga, BataKetu with Mark Lamson, Mark Levine and the Latin Tinge, Grupo Ilu-Ana and BataMbira.

He currently resides in San Francisco, California where he is an integral part of the Bay Area music scene. He records and produces with groups throughout the West Coast, and still tours world-wide with the percussion trio "Talking-Drums," which he co-leads with David Garibaldi and Jesus Diaz. In June of 1996, his recoding with Mark Lamson, BataKetu was released to international critical acclaim, and was voted one of the top 50 drum records of all time by Drum Magazine, they debuted that material on the stage in 2002 with a performance grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and in that same year he performed with his own group "Ara Meji" at the Monterey Jazz Festival, where he received the Distinguished Achievement Award in Percussion. In 2004 he received a Grammy nomination for his work as bothproducer and artist on Mark Levine's Latin/Jazz release "Isla." In 2005 he released his maost recent recording "BataMbira" which is quickly received rave reviews, and was he was voted runner up as best percussionist in the jazz/fusion category in the 2005 Drum Magazine's Reader's Poll Awards.

Michael's recording and performing credits include such diverse artists as David Byrne, Cachao, The Caribbean Jazz Project, Dori Caymmi, Changuito, Richard Egues, Frank Emilio Flynn, Ella Fitzgerald, David Garibaldi, Gilberto Gil, Giovanni Hidalgo, Ray Holman, Toninho Horta, Bobby Hutcherson, Dr. John, Mark Levine and the Latin Tinge, Machete Ensemble, Bobby McFerrin, Andy Narell, Ray Obiedo, Chico O'Farrill, Eddie Palmieri, Lazaro Ros, David Rudder, Carlos Santana, Grace Slick, Omar Sosa, Talking Drums, Clark Terry, McCoy Tyner and Charilie Watts. In addition, he has recorded soundtracks to such major motion picutres as Soapdish, Henry and June, True stories, Sworn To The Drum, Walker, Eddie Macon's Run, and Dragon-The Life of Bruce Lee, and wrote several arrangements for the Tony Award winning Broadway show BLAST! which was released on video by PBS in 2002

Michael's books and recordings can be purchased on Amazon.com.