Joaquin Núñez: Drums & All Percussion (Vocals 4, 6, 9)
Dayramir Gonzalez  Piano & All Keyboards (Vocals 2, 4, 6)
Marta Elena: Lead Vocals (2, 4, 6)
Joanna Majoko: Lead Vocals (7, 9)
Dyalis Núñez-Machado: Vocals ( 2, 4, 6)
Roberto Riveron: Bass (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8)
Paco Luviano: Bass (5, 9)
Alexander Brown: Trumpet & Flugelhorn (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8)
Jeff King: Tenor Sax (1, 2, 4, 6, 7)
Luis Deniz: Alto Sax Solo (2, 4, 7)
Bill McBirnie: Flute (Tracks 3, 5)
Colleen Allen: Clarinet (8)
Esteban Vargas: Violin & Viola (all tracks)
Mark Daniels: Sound Effects (all tracks)

Ruta de la Clave, the highly anticipated debut album from Juno-winning Cuban-Canadian percussionist, composer, producer, and bandleader Joaquín Núñez, is the result of five years of creative exploration. Produced in collaboration with acclaimed New-York based Cuban pianist and jazz innovator Dayramir González, the album offers a rich sonic journey tracing the evolution of Cuban music through its heartbeat: the clave.

As the title suggests, Ruta de la Clave (“The Route of the Clave”) charts the rhythmic and cultural trajectory of this essential Afro-Cuban pattern from its early expressions in the contradanza of the 1800s, through genres such as danzón, changüí, son, and rumba, and into their present-day forms. Rooted in tradition but infused with modern sophistication, the album blends folkloric rhythms and authentic instrumentation with the harmonic and improvisational complexity of New York jazz.

Heavily influenced by the sounds of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and the golden era of bebop, Ruta de la Clave bridges continents and centuries. Tracks like ‘Una Guajira en New York’ tell vivid musical stories—this particular piece follows a guajira (Cuban country girl) whose traditional style is forever transformed by an encounter with piano, trumpet, and saxophone in the streets of New York. ‘Suite Columbia’ offers an instrumental narrative of an enslaved African brought to Cuba, who though forced to leave his home, discovers familiar flavours and sounds on the Caribbean island.

Recorded in Canada between 2022 and 2024, Ruta de la Clave is not just an album—it’s a statement, a celebration, and a reinvention of Afro-Cuban jazz. 

rumberos.ca
lulaworldrecords.ca

Release Date: Friday, May 23rd 2025 on Lulaworld Records