BIOGRAPHY
Born in East Havana Cuba, and raised in Miami, Drummer, percussionist and composer Roberto Rodriguez brings groundbreaking new music through his diverse cross-cultural roots.Drawing inspiration from Jazz to Afrocuban and Eastern European Klezmer Jewish music to the Andaluz of North Africa. Roberto's original musical approach shows how he can simply with ease navigate different styles and genres composing music that is seamlessly crafted redefining his own style he calls “One World Music"

PERFORMANCE
Maurice El Medioni, Rufus Wainwright, Joe Jackson, John Zorn, Marc Ribot, Celia Cruz, Israel CACHAO Lopez, Paquito D'Rivera, Julio Iglesias, Dean Jones, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine, Paul Simon, TBone Burnett, Craig Street, Ruben Blades, Larry Coryell, Dr. L Subramaniam, Kavita Krishnamurti, Roberto Luis Rodriguez, Frank London, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Kim Karnes, Phoebe Snow, Dianne Shur, Lester Bowie, Wadada Leo Smith, Irving Fields, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Alan Palmer (with Jackie McLean), David Krakauer.

EDUCATION
CUBA 1966-70
Caturla Conservatory of Music-La Habana, Cuba

United States 1979 -1983
University of Miami (Full Scholarship) Major: Studio Music and Jazz

PRINCIPAL TEACHERS
Steve Rucker-Drums Set University of Miami
Whitt Sydner- Concert Jazz Band University of Miami 
Jaco Pastorius-Small Group University of Miami 
Vince Maggio-Be Bop Ensemble University of Miami 
Elvin Jones-Private New York City

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Private Students-Private Workshops
Clinics Pearl Drums/EVANS, Sabian Cymbals/Vater Sticks/LP

2025 BERLIN
AWWAS--A World Without Anti Semitism ~The Music of Maurice El Medioni and Rudolf Nelson~

*2024
Maurice El Medioni Documentary-Piranha Records-Berlin Director Avi Bohbot

2021
Grantee for Rhythm N' Bluestone
Artist in residence at Arts MID-HUDSON-Opus 40 Saugerties NY

2020
Opus 40-Artist in Residence

2018- and 2019
Grantee for Fiesta Latina by Arts Mid Hudson Foundation, Ulster Savings, TD Bank, Stewart's Shops and private contributions.

2017
Awarded Arts Mid-Hudson Individual Artist Commission for Afro-Cuban Music Composition.

2016
Roberto's musical work is featured on Mazal Tov!Amigos! Jews and Popular Music in the Americas. A book published on BRILL books.

2015
Roberto is the recipient of The Robert Sillins Family Foundation award for his work and release of the book Mazal Tov!Amigos! Jews and Popular Music in the Americas. 

2014
Roberto Rodriguez and John Zorn collaborated on The Book Of Angels #23 AGUARES.

2013
Roberto composed, produced and recorded the music of Digital Sanctuaries as well as developing an APP for a self led walk tour of lower Manhattan for an iPhone and Android phones.

2012
Orquesta Sarabia. A spicy gumbo of Buena Vista Social Club
doing the music of Nino Rota, the romantic Farid al-Atrash and adding beautiful Cuban, Andalusian and Arabic melodies. To this concoction Roberto added six original compositions plus arrangements of his peers Maurice El Medioni and John Zorn. Adding a very special arrangement of Dahmane El Harachi's Ya Rayah (Oh Immigrant/The Traveler) for a debut performance of Orquesta Sarabia at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center in NYC.

*2007
BBC RADIO 3 Best CD of the Year-Descarga Oriental.-Crossing Cultures-Piranha Records Berlin, Germany

SEXTETO ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ CUBAN-KLEZMER ENSEMBLE
Beit Avi Chai Jerusalem 2011,2012,2013,
Great Synagogue Denmark 2012, Red Sea Jazz Festival 2011, Krakow Jewish Cultural Festival 2008,2009,2010, Lincoln Center David Rubinstein Atrium, The Jewish Museum, Concertgebouw Holland, Barbican Theater London, Malta Jazz Festival, Sines Musicas do Mundo Portugal, Museum of Jewish Heritage NYC, Skirball Center LA, Istanbul Jazz, Slovenia Jazz Festival

LA ORQUESTA SARABIA
An Orchestra composed of New York's finest musicians from Greece,Palestine,Israel,Iraq,Cuba and the US.
Performing at Lincoln Center and the Skirball Center in LA.
Featuring Elefterios Bournias-clarinet, Megan Gould-violin, Amir Elsaffar-santoor/ trumpet, Tarek Abboushi-bouzuk, Jennifer Vincent-bass, Dafer Tawil-darbuka/oud/ vocal, Uri Sharlin-accordion, Igor Arias-congas, Hadar Noiberg-flute, Roberto Rodriguez-composer, percussion, bandleader

PUBLICATIONS/ and REVIEWS
Mazal Tov!Amigos! Jews and Popular Music in the Americas. A book published on BRILL books.
Roberto Juan Rodriguez is a bonafide innovator, that rare musician whose creative vision, breathes joy and melancholy with tremendous emotional clarity. Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

"Bravo! Completely enchanting, delightful-different for my ears. It pulled me in" Ray Barretto (from Jazz Times "Before and After interview" November 2004
Village Voice Top 10 of 2011 for Timba Talmud, Village Voice Honorable Mention 2011 for The First Basket, Down Beat Best 100, 2000-2010 for El Danzon de Moises, EK Best10 cd WIRE-UK 2007, The World NPR, All Songs Considered NPR, Modern Drummer, Downbeat Magazine, All About Jazz NY, Washington Post, Jazziz, Vibrations , Signal to Noise, All Music Guide, Boston Globe, Le Monde, The Guardian UK, Jerusalem Report, The Jewish Forward, Time Out NY, Ethnomusicology Vol 51- No 1-Winter 2007

PROJECTS/FILM SCORES
Octeto Masada-The Book of Angels John Zorn/Roberto Rodriguez-AGUARES Havana Curve (Patchwork Films)
Oz-The Great and Powerful (Disney)
Electric Kulintang-Drum Codes Ibarra/Rodriguez

War Horses-Komunyakaa/Ibarra/Rodriguez Orquesta Sarabia-Ojala
Mulato Insurgency-Borumba
The First Basket-Documentary Film

Cuban Jewish All Stars-Timba Talmud Mundo Niños - This is a Beat/Lullabies

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY/VIDEOS
Roberto Rodriguez ~ Timba Talmud ~ Baila! Gitano Baila! ~El Danzón de Moises (Tzadik)
Maurice El Medioni meets Roberto Rodriguez: Descarga Oriental, (Piranha)
Miami Sound Machine, Into the Light and Cuts both ways (Epic ) Rufus Wainwright- Want (Geffen)

Joe Jackson Live - Two Rainy Nights (Sony)/ Live Video 25th Year Anniversary
Marc Ribot, Los Cubanos Postizos and !Muy Divertido! (Atlantic ) John Zorn, Taboo & Exile , Aguares(Tzadik)

Jessie Harris Los Ferdinandos (Blue Note) Electric Kulintang Dialects (Plastic)