Jesús María Abreu Hernández

He began his artistic career in various groups performing in different nightclubs in the capital such as the Tropicana and Parisién cabarets.

Together with his brothers he formed the ensemble "Los Papines", with which he has been a great promoter and disseminator of Cuban roots and rhythms.

He became involved in artistic education as a professor at the Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA).

He holds the distinctions Por la Cultura Nacional and Raúl Gómez García.

Los Papines are an emblem throughout the world. That group had to be respected in the world of rumba and dance. Their performances became indispensable at almost all Cuban native music shows both in Cuba and abroad. Television called on them time and again, and in other shows they were always in demand because people knew that saying Papines meant saying seriousness, discipline, and dedication to their work no matter what.

Since their creation, they have been one of the most well-known rumba groups in Cuba and abroad for the quality and originality of their musical interpretations, in which they demonstrate themselves to be true masters of Cuban percussion. These ambassadors of Cuban music have gotten many people dancing to Cuban percussion in various countries, among them France, Japan, Russia, Canada, Germany, Mexico, the United States... And they have recorded numerous albums, in addition to their countless performances on radio and TV. After almost 50 years of artistic career, they continue to be a reference in the field of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean percussion. With just five musicians they command the stage and create an incomparable show delighting the audience, combining the most genuine manifestations of rumba, whether in theater or cabaret.

Following the death of Ricardo Abreu, the group has been renewed with the incorporation of two new figures from the younger generation of family musicians. This has given a more modern turn to their performances, achieving masterful interpretations of a jazzy style.

Awards granted: 2002. "Alejo Carpentier" Medal -

Links: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Papines
https://www.trabajadores.cu/secciones/cuba/cuba-por-dentro-1/musicos-sui-generis-los-papines