Brenda Navarrete is one of the most prominent percussionists in contemporary Cuban music, renowned for her mastery of the batá drums and her ability to fuse Afro-Cuban tradition with jazz, rumba, and global sounds. A graduate of the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory, she has been part of projects such as Alafia, Obiní Batá, and Interactivo, bringing Afro-Cuban percussion to international stages.

Her album Mi Mundo marked a milestone in her career, honoring Yoruba spirituality and expanding her music to audiences in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, South Korea, Colombia, the United States, and France.

She has collaborated with artists such as Mista Savona, Lutan Fyah, Prince Alla, France Nooks, I-Maali, Guts, David Walters, Havana Meets Kingston, Isaac Delgado, Osaín del Monte, Kelvis Ochoa, La Dame Blanche, Harold López-Nussa, and Hilario Durán, and has shared the stage with Jon Batiste, Cimafunk, Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ibrahim Maalouf, Pedrito Martínez, Aymee Nuviola, Emily Estefan, Yissy García, Yusa, Wampi, Alfredo Rodríguez, and Monsieur Periné.

Her talent has been recognized in major media outlets such as Billboard, and she has appeared on BBC, NPR, CNN en Español. She was awarded at the National Fiesta del Tambor Competition (2010) and has received recognition at international jazz and World Music festivals.

Brenda Navarrete represents the evolution of Afro-Cuban percussion worldwide, standing out as one of the few women to master the batá drums at a professional level, establishing herself as an influential artist in and beyond Cuba.

Photo by Eduardo Rodríguez