We always find, and surely will find, examples of Cubans who have managed to get ahead despite the harsh circumstances surrounding them in their country of origin. One of many is Andy Martinez, current musical director of the group Dina Y Los Rumberos, with whom we have had the honor to share a few minutes to learn as much as we can about his orchestra and current career.

Andy’s initial taste for music

Andy comes from a musical family with whom he had a lot of contact with music since he was very young, starting with his father himself, Don Raúl Matínez, who was the former musical director of Dina Y Los Rumberos and, for reasons of age, was unable to carry out his functions. However, he is still the head of the project and is part of all the important decisions in this regard. 

On the other hand, Andy’s personal interest in music began when he was only five years old, which led his parents to enroll him in his first conservatory where he studied the elementary and middle level, but because of geographic issues and reasons of distance, he was not able to finish his degree. As a result, he chose to study to be a music teacher instead.

What most attracted his attention at that time was percussion, in fact, he ended up graduating as a percussionist and playing instruments such as the bongo, the timbales, the tumbadora and many more. 

Dina Y Los Rumberos

The first thing Andy wanted to clarify about Dina y Los Rumberos is that the group was at first a family orchestra, starting with Dina, the lead singer, who is Andy’s older sister. On the other hand, his father Raul was the director, as we have said, and his uncle Ernesto Martinez was the bass player.

It all starts when, in 2001, Raul made the decision to formalize a band that included the family musicians, who had already been in other groups and had the necessary expertise to take up the challenge. Soon after, they got their first chance to tour outside Cuba, more specifically in Mexico, where they spent approximately 10 years. That time was more than enough to travel around the country and establish the band there, but unfortunately the situation of violence at that time made them move again.

Andy and the rest of the band preferred to move to Portland, Oregon, where they still live today. 

Great challenges after their arrival in the United States

Although the plan was not to leave Cuba indefinitely, Andy also admitted that the idea of leaving the island was always hanging around his head due to the political and economic situation there. The artist also pointed out that in the music business, most of those who have the opportunity to leave never come back.

In the case of Andy and his bandmates, they specifically chose Portland, since they had many acquaintances in the area and it was a place very much like where they lived in Cuba with a lot of nature and tranquility.

One of the first challenges they faced along the way was Raul’s inability to remain at the forefront the orchestra due to his advanced age and health problems, so the best person to replace him was Andy, since he was the one who had more musical knowledge and was more qualified to lead a band in terms of scores, arrangements and that sort of thing.

Another of the difficulties they had was the bad reputation Cubans had at that time, so many doors were closed to them because of all that was said of their country of origin. However, they have managed to get ahead despite the adversities and now defend Cuban music to the last on any stage where they play. 

How Dina Y Los Rumberos is currently composed

At present, Dina Y Los Rumberos is made up as follows: Dina Martinez on vocals, Luis Perez also on vocals, Paolo on timbales, Diego Cruzado on piano, Moises Hernandez on piano and Mario Posada on piano, Thomas Pierce on trombone, Olaf on bass and Alexis also on bass. 

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