My earliest memories are from Cayo Hueso in Havana, where I grew up surrounded by music. I remember being a little kid and hearing drums, singing and people dancing in the neighbourhood. There was a park across from my house where musicians would gather, and I was fascinated by them. I didn’t know then that music was going to become my life—I just knew that whenever I heard the drums, I wanted to be close to them.

I grew up in Havana, Cuba, in the neighbourhood of Cayo Hueso, in the 1970s and ’80s. My mother was a singer, and music was always around me, both at home and in the streets. I learned many things by watching older musicians, listening to rumba and participating in the musical and spiritual traditions around me. I started performing when I was 11 years old, so music became part of my childhood very early.

From my mother, I inherited the love of music and the ability to express emotion through it. From my father, I would say determination and strength. Those qualities have helped me enormously, especially when I came to New York and had to start building my life again.

The best piece of advice I’ve been given is: never stop learning. Older musicians taught me this. When I came to New York, I realised that even though I knew my Cuban music very well, there was a whole world I didn’t know yet. Brian Lynch helped me understand that I had much more to learn about jazz, time signatures and playing in different musical environments. That experience taught me that being a great musician means remaining a student.

The most influential figures in shaping me have been my wife Maria Martinez, my parents Adrian and Regla, and Román Díaz, who was extremely important in my life. He became like a godfather to me, both musically and spiritually. When I was young, he protected me, introduced me to musicians and helped me deepen my understanding of the traditions that became the foundation of my music. He taught me discipline, spirituality and the importance of knowing where your music comes from.

I celebrate every time I finish performing with my band, and also when I see my music continuing to grow and reaching new people. Every new album, every great concert and every opportunity to bring Cuban music to another place feels like something worth celebrating.

My musicians make me laugh all the time. When you spend so much time traveling and performing together, there are always funny situations. Sometimes the funniest moments happen backstage or on the road when everybody is tired and somebody says something completely crazy.

Music can make me cry very easily, especially when it connects me with Cuba, my family or people who are no longer with us. Sometimes hearing an old song or a rhythm from my childhood brings back memories very strongly. For me, music carries memories.

I get most pleasure out of my family, my music and being able to create. I’m grateful that after all these years I can still sit down with musicians and discover something new. The greatest pleasure is when everybody is playing together and you reach that moment where the music becomes bigger than the individuals.

I find it exhausting when people think they are more important than the music. Music is supposed to bring people together, and when ego gets in the way, you lose the connection. Egos can be tedious.

A virtue I consider to be under-valued is Humility. When you stay humble, you remain open. You can learn from anybody—from a great musician, from a child, from somebody in the audience or from a mistake you make onstage.

Ambition is an overrated vice, but only if it is with purpose. Wanting to improve is good, but if you are only chasing money, fame or recognition, you can lose the reason you started in the first place.

I care deeply about preserving cultural identity while allowing music to evolve. I want young musicians to know where their music comes from but not be afraid to take it somewhere new. Rumba, Afro-Cuban music and our traditions belong to history, but they are also living music.

Someone I deeply respect is Wynton Marsalis. There are many musicians I admire, but he stands out for his enormous knowledge, discipline and respect for musical traditions, while still pushing music forward. Working with people like him has taught me that you can honour your roots while continuing to grow.

I feel optimistic about young musicians. When I see young people from different countries and cultures playing together, I feel hopeful. Music shows us that we can come from completely different backgrounds and still communicate without needing to speak the same language.

Later in life I’ve discovered the importance of patience and gratitude. When I was young, I wanted everything immediately. Life taught me that everything has its time. And gratitude is important because you realise that no career is built alone. I have had teachers, friends, musicians, family members and strangers who opened doors for me. You have to remember those people.

A piece of advice I’d give to your younger self is don’t be afraid of what you don’t know. Keep your roots, but keep your mind open. Be patient, work hard and don’t compare your journey to anybody else’s.

I would say thank you to all the musicians and elders who came before me and preserved the traditions that I inherited. Many of them never imagined that their music would travel around the world through people like me. I am simply one link in a very long chain.

A motto I aspire to live by is “triumph is in consistency.” That idea is very important to me. You don’t have to be perfect every day. You just have to keep going.

The inner demon I strive to conquer is doubt. Sometimes you question yourself and wonder if you are good enough or if you are doing the right thing. I try to turn that doubt into motivation—to practice more, learn more and become better.

My favourite question is “What can we create together?” Because music becomes much more powerful when you stop thinking only about yourself and start thinking about what everybody can create together.

I believe in God, in the deities of the Yoruba pantheon, in spirituality, in family and in the power of music. I believe that music carries history and connects us to the people who came before us. And I believe that if you work hard and stay open, life can take you places you never imagined.

I am sickened by cruelty, arrogance and people who use power to make others feel small. I especially dislike when people forget that everybody has a story and deserves respect.

I find hope in my family and the musicians around me. Every time I see people from different cultures coming together to make music, I remember that there are still things that can unite us.

Pedrito Martinez & Alfredo Rodriguez perform in London on 15 Nov at KOKO
Use code LATINOLIFE25 to get 25% off  https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk/events/alfredo-rodriguez-pedrito-m…