Cuban Piano Sensation! ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ

January 26, 2010

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In his first year since arriving in the United States, Alfredo Rodríguez has played to capacity crowds at the Playboy Jazz Festival, the SXSW Music Festival, the Detroit Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, and the San Francisco Jazz Festival. Both his New York and his Los Angeles club debuts sold out. Opening for Herbie Hancock and others, Alfredo played for 18,000 fans at the LA Symphony’s official welcome for Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl. He also happens to be working on his debut album with music producer Quincy Jones. It’s a lot given that he’s only been in the U.S. for a year, but the story of this 24-year-old is anything but ordinary.

Born in Havana, Cuba, Alfredo trained in the famous Manuel Saumell Elementary Classical Music Conservatory until his lucky break came in 2006 when he was selected as one of two Cubans to play at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival.

In Montreux, Alfredo was noticed by Quincy Jones. The two stayed in touch after the festival, but because of the problems between the U.S. and Cuba, they couldn’t work together.

For three years, Alfredo struggled with the difficult decision of whether to leave behind his home country and his family in pursuit of his dreams. On January 15, 2009, Alfredo, like so many Cubans before him, decided to defect from Cuba to pursue his music on the world stage. Obviously, it’s been tough for Alfredo to be away from home, but in his words “Everyone has a destiny. Mine is music. I decided to come here for better or for worse because of music and only for music. Of course I miss my family and my country, but I’m following my music, which is what I’ve done my whole life.”

Alfredo’s debut CD, will be released in Spring of 2010 on Qwest Records and his first European tour will be this coming Summer 2010. In the words of Quincy Jones, “He is very special and I do not say that easily because I have been surrounded by the best musicians in the world my entire life and he is one of the best.”

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