Leonel Francisco Amat, known as Pancho Amat, was born on April 22, 1950 in Güira de Melena, Havana, Cuba. He is a guitarist and Cuban tres player who graduated from the University of Havana in 1971 and founded Grupo Manguaré that same year. Amat studied classical guitar at the Ignacio Cervantes Conservatory. Amat's career includes collaborations with notable artists such as Joaquín Sabina, Oscar D'León, Pablo Milanés, Ry Cooder, and Silvio Rodríguez. He has performed in various formats of Cuban music, including tríos, cuartetos, charangas, and orchestras. In 1995, he released Son Por Tres, which won the National Critics' Award at Cubadisco. Amat has also collaborated with Spanish rocker Santiago Auserón on the project Juan Perro, fusing tres with rock music.
