Sounds of Cuba: Alfredo Rodríguez & Pedrito Martinez

Updated March 16, 2020: In response to domestic coronavirus developments, Stanford University is strongly discouraging all large-scale university gatherings, effective March 4 through May 15. Stanford Live, in compliance with the university’s decision, is moving to cancel large-scale performances within this time frame. This performance has been canceled—read more.

Alfredo Rodríguez and Pedrito Martinez both discovered their gifts for music in Havana and headed to the States, where they melded the music of their homeland with a wide variety of influences, each in his own deeply personal way. Rodriguez was born into a musical family, his father a popular singer and TV host, and studied classical piano at the prestigious Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán and Instituto Superior de Arte. Martinez, on the other hand, honed his craft on the streets of Havana, learning the deeply-rooted percussion and vocal style of Afro-Cuban folkloric and religious music.

As a result of their beginnings, Rodríguez and Martinez share a natural chemistry that makes for a galvanizing musical experience when they come together. Their first duo outing, Duologue, finds the pair exploring a range of moods and influences, from Cuban classics to collaborative original compositions to a number of unexpected favorites.