Elio Villafranca leads a new generation of Cuban jazz pianists

Elio Villafranca is at the forefront of the latest generation of remarkable Cuban pianists and composers.

Since arriving in the U.S. in 1995, the Grammy-nominated musician has recorded and performed nationally and internationally as a bandleader. Villafranca’s music has featured jazz masters Wynton Marsalis, Pat Martino, Paquito D’Rivera, Jon Faddis and Christian McBride, among others, and he has performed with Chick Corea, Sonny Fortune, Giovanni Hidalgo, Johnny Pacheco and more. He was also recently a recipient of a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts.

Villafranca joined us on Café Latino for a conversation about his invigorating music and his fascinating career.