“Pedro José Pastrana is a Puerto Rican composer with a cuatro in his hands and a world of music in his head.”
— the Frisc, San Francisco
A music creator re-thinking the concept of Puerto Rican music, Pedro crosses over invisible frontiers with an (extra)ordinary approach to music. He aims at fusing the earthy quality of folk music with forward looking compositions and live performances, reflecting the mixed identities of his heritage and influences.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Pedro José Pastrana grew up in the "jíbaro" music tradition and surrounded by the vocabulary of other popular sounds. His work has been reviewed and play-listed by LatinJazzNet, KCSM Jazz, Puerto Rico Jazz and PRPop. As a sideman Pedro has redefined the versatility of the Puerto Rican Cuatro in Latin Jazz by performing and recording with artists like John Santos, Barrio Manouche, Jerry Medina, Juango Gutierrez, Orestes Vilató, The Oakland Symphony, among others.
His 2022 debut album, Crónicas de la Pierna Inquieta, selected by prpop.org among the top 20 best recordings of that year, consists of eight original tracks, serving as snapshots of self-discovery, inspired by the coming of age events of the past 13 years. This work combines incisive, Cuatro generated groove based songwriting with the sounds of Puerto Rico as the color palette.