ABOUT KALI RODRIGUEZ - PEÑA
“Kali's bristling tone and bilingual fluency has commanded attention in New York”
-Wall Street Journal
KALI RODRIGUEZ-PENA (HAVANA, CUBA-1992)
Latin-Grammy nominated Cuban trumpeter and composer Kalí Rodríguez-Peña is one of the leading voices of a young generation of Cuban musicians living in New York City. His sound fuses the traditional motifs of his native Cuba with a passion for jazz classicism influenced by Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard.
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Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Kali was 14 years old when he caught the attention of multi-instrumentalist Bobby Carcasses, the world-renowned guru of Afrocuban jazz whose mentorship introduced Kalí to the jazz idiom. After winning top prizes in important national jazz related events, he was awarded a full scholarship to the prestigious Manhattan School of Music where he studied under the tutelage of Jon Faddis and Stefon Harris.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Cuba's JoJazz Contest Winner 2009 and 2010
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Finalist for the National Trumpet Competition 2016
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CD "Familia" - Arturo O'Farrill and Chucho Valdes
Since, Kalí has led his own bands in top venues and festivals in North America, and has also shared the stage with distinguished musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Arturo O’Farrill, Paquito D’Rivera, Chucho Valdés, Michel Camilo, Esperanza Spalding, Miguel Zenón, Anat Cohen, Jeff “Tain” Watts, David Murray, Cándido Camero, Ricky Martin, Luis Fonsi, Olga Tañón, among others.
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Kalí has been awarded Harlem Stage’s WaterWorks Emerging Artist cohort (2023), New Music USA’s Creator Development Fund (2021), Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc. Scholarship (2017), and was a finalist at the National Trumpet Competition (2016). His album Mélange (2022) was released under the Truth Revolution Records label, and its music is featured on the TV show “Let The Right One In” by television network Showtime. He also participated as a guest performer in the CD "Familia" by Grammy-winning artists Arturo O'Farrill and Chucho Valdés, as well as Michel Camilo's latest release "Essence," and Pedrito Martínez’ “Acertijos.” He has also been a guest lecturer at the University of California, Riverside, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.