El Comité is not simply a band: it is a meeting point for some of the most compelling voices of the contemporary Cuban jazz scene. Formed in 2017, the collective brings together seven musicians whose individual careers already span major international stages, yet whose shared language is rooted in groove, improvisation and the inexhaustible rhythmic imagination of Cuba.

At its core are trumpeter Carlos Sarduy, saxophonist Irving Acao, pianists and keyboard players Rolando Luna and Harold López-Nussa, bassist Gastón Joya, percussionist Yaroldy Abreu and drummer Rodney Barreto. Together, they operate less as a conventional ensemble than as a true musical collective: a group of distinctive soloists who listen, react and build a powerful shared momentum.

El Comité’s sound begins with Afro-Cuban rhythm, but it refuses to remain within fixed borders. Their music connects the tumbao and the descarga to modern jazz harmony, funk, Afrobeat, pop energy and the openness of contemporary improvisation. Virtuosic horn lines, layered pianos, electric textures and an exceptionally agile rhythm section shape music that can be precise and sophisticated one moment, then direct, festive and irresistibly physical the next. The result is a contemporary Cuban jazz language with a global outlook — rooted in heritage, but driven by movement.

The group’s debut album, Y Qué!?, established El Comité as a major new force in Afro-Cuban jazz. Its follow-up, Carrousel, released in May 2024, expands that identity across eleven tracks, including nine original compositions. Recorded in Paris and produced by Sébastien Vidal, the album brings together the collective’s dense rhythmic vocabulary, melodic imagination and appetite for surprise. It also features guests including Ibrahim Maalouf and Pedrito Martinez, underlining the group’s ability to connect Cuban musical tradition with a wide international creative community.

On stage, El Comité delivers the full force of its collective identity. Every concert is driven by rhythmic tension, sharp arrangements and the freedom of musicians who can move instantly from tight ensemble passages to expansive improvisation. The virtuosity is never ornamental: it serves the pulse of the music, the dialogue between the players and the audience’s experience of a live performance that is as joyful as it is demanding.

With its mix of high-level musicianship, dance-floor energy and fearless contemporary writing, El Comité speaks both to jazz audiences and to listeners drawn to groove, Latin music and live bands with genuine stage power. It is Afro-Cuban jazz for the present: bold, generous, rhythmically alive and built for the stage.

El Comité is available as a septet project.

Line-up can be adapted to the artistic direction, venue capacity and event format.