Bio
Born in Havana in 1984, Rodney Barreto belongs to a family with a strong musical heritage. His last name is synonymous with excellence in Cuban percussion thanks to his uncle, drummer Julio César Barreto, a huge inspiration for him, together with that of his great-uncle, Alberto Barreto, who composed songs for artists such as Benny Moré.
Although students only begin playing drums at sixteen in Cuba, Barreto attended his first lesson at eleven and, five years later, at sixteen, he was already taking part in international tours as a professional drummer. After graduating from the Amadeo Roldán Music Conservatory, where he was a pupil of the renowned professor Roberto Concepción, between 2001 and 2006, he was part of the Isaac Delgado orchestra, with which he performed in some of the main cities for music in Europe, Latin America and the United States. Starting from there, his career evolved: after being one of the drummers of the prominent fusion project Interactivo, he became that of Elmer Ferrer’s band and that of Alexander Abreu & Havana d’Primera, a group which he co-founded with Abreu.
In 2009, he served as an accompanying musician for several Cuban and international artists at the famous “Peace Without Borders” Havana concert.
In 2010, together with Oliver Valdés, he produced “Drums La Habana”, the first percussions ́ CD-DVD with two drummers and artistic directors. This material won the 2010 Cubadisco award for best CD-DVD.
As of 2012, he plays in Chucho Valdés’s band, with whom he performed in some of the world ́s most important festivals and concert halls. On some of these occasions he worked with musicians such as Joe Lovano and Ivan Lins. With Chucho Valdés, Barreto won a 2016 Grammy Award, with the CD “Live in Marciac” and was nominated to another Grammy Award in 2013 for the album “Comanche”.
Since 2008, he plays and tours internationally in Omara Portuondo ́s group, of which Diego El Cigala was also a part in 2016.
As of 2017, he acts as the musical director of the Rakatan Ballet Dance Company, founded and run by Nilda Guerra, which performs and tours nationally and internationally.
Since 2018, that is, since the group ́s inception, he plays in El Comité, a band comprised of some of the most recognized Cuban musicians born in the 80s. Whether with jazz, salsa, timba, funky, rock, hip-hop, electro or fusion, Rodney Barreto ́s remarkably original style and touch widely marked the Cuban scene and brought him international recognition.
In 2021, he released his first CD-DVD solo “Drummer Negrito” with the label Colibrí which was pre-nominated to the Latin Grammys and won the prize in Cubadisco 2021 at the category of “Best Making Of ”.
Since 2001, he holds private drums and timbales lessons and masterclasses (in person and remotely)