Arturo Sandoval

A ten-time Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter, Arturo Sandoval has performed at the White House, the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards and released more than 30 albums during a stellar career that began as a nine-year-old playing on the streets of Artemisa, a small town on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba. The son of a mechanic, he began studying Russian classical music at the age of twelve and was enrolled at the Cuban National School of the Arts at 15, before helping to form the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, which evolved into the legendary, Afro-Cuban fusion ensemble Irakere in 1973. His exuberant, vibrant style led to him joining his hero Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra and, while on tour with the group in Rome, he defected from Castro's regime in Cuba in 1990 and became an American citizen. His solo albums 'Flight of Freedom' and 'Hot House' celebrated his new life in typically colourful and expressive fashion and his mix of Latin rhythms, jumping bebop melodies and high pitched, squealing trumpet and flugelhorn wails earned him a reputation as one of the world's most exciting and charismatic contemporary jazz stars. Titled 'For Love Or Country' and starring Andy Garcia, a film of his life was made in 2000, and Sandoval went on to release the acclaimed albums 'Rumba Palace' and 'Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You)' and also played as a side man for Gloria Estefan, Dave Grusin and Tony Bennett. He has also recorded albums of classical piano music, composed film scores and in 2013 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama.

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.