From an early age, Alfredo Rodríguez’s life revolved around music. Born in Cuba in 1985, and the son of a singer with the same name, music was in his blood. By the time he was 14, he was the school’s prize pianist, and wound up graduating first in his class with the highest marks the conservatory had ever seen. He quickly became a go-to producer and musical director for some of Havana’s most famous musicians, including his father. At 21, he was granted permission to leave Cuba for the fist time to appear at the Montreaux Jazz Festival, where he caught the attention of Quincy Jones. After that, Jones embarked on what became a 3-year endeavor to enable Alfredo to further his career on the international stage. The journey eventually ended in 2009 when Alfredo was granted political asylum in the US, where he has since made debut performances in New York City and at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
