Kalí Rodríguez-Peña feat. Dayme Arocena - Cuban Jazz Series
Kalí Rodríguez-Peña, a Latin Grammy-nominated Cuban trumpeter, composer, educator, and bandleader, presents “Latin Louie and Ella” with vocalist Dayme Arocena as part of Blues Alley’s Cuban Jazz Series. Co-presented with the Embassy of Cuba, the performance brings together Rodríguez-Peña’s Cuban musical roots and jazz influences associated with Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Freddie Hubbard.
Born and raised in Havana, Rodríguez-Peña began studying jazz at 14 under the mentorship of Afro-Cuban jazz musician Bobby Carcassés. He later attended Manhattan School of Music on a full scholarship, studying with Jon Faddis and Stefon Harris. He has performed with artists including Wynton Marsalis, Arturo O’Farrill, Paquito D’Rivera, Chucho Valdés, Michel Camilo, Esperanza Spalding, Miguel Zenón, Anat Cohen, Jeff “Tain” Watts, David Murray, Cándido Camero, Ricky Martin, Luis Fonsi, and Olga Tañón. His honors include the 2023 Harlem Stage WaterWorks Emerging Artist cohort, New Music USA’s 2021 Creator Development Fund, and a 2017 Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation scholarship. His album *Mélange* was released in 2022, and his music appears in the Showtime series *Let the Right One In*.
When: October 13, 2026
Showtimes: 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM
Lineup: Kalí Rodríguez-Peña featuring Dayme Arocena
Program: “Latin Louie and Ella”
Tickets: $30, plus a $7 fee
Venue: Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20007
Doors: 6:00 PM for the 7:00 PM performance and 8:45 PM for the 9:30 PM performance
Seating: First come, first seated at the door
Minimum: A $15 food-and-beverage minimum per person applies and is not included in the ticket price.
Ticket policy: All sales are final. Tickets are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
Recording policy: Photography and recording of any kind are prohibited during the performance.
Audience note: Guests are asked to keep conversation to a minimum during the performance.
Presented by: Blues Alley in association with the Embassy of Cuba.