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Cuban saxophone/flute/clarinet player and band leader (b. June 4th, 1948 in Havana, Cuba). Son of saxophone player Tito D’Rivera, he started playing saxophone at 5 years old. At 19 he debuted on Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Cuba and that same year (1965) he founded Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna with Chucho Valdés, and later Irakere, melting jazz, rock and traditional Cuban music.

In 1981 he exiled in USA, playing with American musicians and founding in 1988 The United Nations Orchestra with Dizzy Gillespie. He founded his own band Paquito D’Rivera Big Band and Paquito D’Rivera Quintet.

He is married to singer, producer and manager Brenda Feliciano.