Alfredo Rodríguez Salicio (born on October 7, 1985) is a classically-trained Cuban jazz pianist and composer, considered by many as the leading exponent of the island’s new generation of jazz musicians. The son of a famous TV host, Rodríguez attended some of Cuba’s most prestigious music conservatories, where he won several competitions. His 2006 breakthrough performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival caught the attention of legendary producer Quincy Jones, who invited Rodríguez to work with him in the US. After collaborating with Jones on the single “Better City, Better Life,” which served as the theme song for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, the pair went into the studio to record Sounds of Space (2012), Rodríguez’s studio debut. The album received praises from the specialized press, paving the way for The Invasion Parade (2014), a collection of covers and original material inspired by Cuban folklore that earned Martínez his first Grammy nomination. He teamed up with Quincy Jones once again for Tocororo (2016), which featured stellar guest appearances by the likes of Richard Bona, Ibrahim Maalouf, and Ibeyi. Recorded as a trio with multi-instrumentalist Munir Hossn and drummer Michael Olivera, The Little Dream (2018) found the jazz virtuoso going back to basics and adopting a more minimalist sound. Shortly after, Rodríguez joined longtime collaborator and percussionist Pedrito Martínez for Duologue (2019), an eclectic piece of work in which the duo tackled everything from a Michael Jackson cover (“Thriller”) to video game music (“Super Mario Bros 3”).
