Cortadito: A Tribute to the Buena Vista Social Club

Award-winning Cuban folk group Cortadito performs the music of the Buena Vista Social Club, the group that captured global attention during the late 1990s with an album produced by Ry Cooder. The band currently performs throughout South Florida and the United States, and is currently promoting their first-ever full-length release The Guajiro Triangle, which the band will also touch on during the show.

PERFORMER BIO:

Since its origins thirteen years ago, the evolution of Cortadito has

led it to become one of the torchbearers of a pop culture phenomenon

that is two centuries strong. A traditional folk and acoustic band

that focuses on performing one of the earliest styles of Cuban Pop

music known as Son (pronounced sOwn), their sound can best be

described as reminiscent of the famed Buena Vista Social Club. This

dynamic, Miami-based ensemble has been joined on stage by Grammy and Latin Grammy award-winning singer Aymeé Nuviola, world-renowned flutist Nestor Torres, and has performed with legendary member of Buena Vista Social Club, Eliades Ochoa. In October 2022, the group was invited to perform at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Jose Elias founded the band alongside Julio Cesar Rodriguez Delet,

from Santiago de Cuba, in November of 2011 after a 12-year stint with

Conjunto Progreso that garnered him a Grammy nomination for the album Masters of Cuban Son. The duo was an instant success and was

celebrated for their ability to create a big band sound with such a

small lineup. The current lineup includes bass player Alberto

Pantaleon, who has toured with the Afro-Cuban All Stars and is

currently touring with Eliades Ochoa in the United States. The group

also features trumpet player Tony Perigo, who started his professional

career at the age of 17 playing with Cuban songstress Omara Portuondo.Rounding off the group on percussion is Santiago McCook, who is referred to as “El Pulpo” (the octopus), due to his one-of-a-kind

multi-percussion setup that allows him to play the role of five

percussionists in one.

This year, the group released their first full-length feature album

titled “The Guajiro Triangle”. The album features a variety of

original compositions that celebrate the traditions of Cuban music in

the modern world. The triangle represents the connection between

Santiago de Cuba, Havana, and Miami, the group’s home and final

destination of this musical journey that was established two centuries

ago. 

Band Members

• Jose Elias – Bandleader/ Cuban Tres Guitar and Vocals

• Julio Cesar Rodriguez – Lead Singer/ Rhythm Guitar

• Santiago McCook – Percussion

• Alberto Pantaleon – Baby Bass

• Tony Perigo – Trumpet