Quite simply put, Rey Rodriguez is a gunslinger. He has taken South Florida by storm with his engaging live performances, bringing together the many sounds of the Cuban-American musical crossroads. Yes, he is a master of the Stratocaster, but Rey doesn’t stop there. He combines Cuban musical traditions with rock ’n’ roll, gritty blues, classic country and New Orleans jazz, creating a sound that is as multicultural and unpredictable as the city he calls home.
I first saw Rey perform long before we ever conceptualized Don’t Tell Me How to Art, and he immediately caught my attention. His performance during Miracle on the Mile weekend in Coral Gables, sponsored by the Little Havana Kiwanis Club, was everything a live performance should be: tight, energetic and just plain fun to watch. Beneath the showmanship was some serious musicianship, with Rey drawing from the traditions of Cuban son and guaracha while putting his own unmistakable stamp on them.
Watching Rey build his career through the stages of the Magic City has been a lot of fun. With every performance, you could see the artist getting sharper, more confident and more adventurous. That journey ultimately led to his first solo album, Guapería, where Rey pushes his musical fusion even further. The songs reflect a musical journey that reaches across Santiago de Cuba, Havana, Madrid, Miami and even New Orleans, bringing together the sounds, rhythms and influences that have shaped him along the way.
For Don’t Tell Me How to Art, we’re excited to introduce you to Rey in his element, performing live on the iconic Ball & Chain stage in Little Havana. This is where the gunslinger really gets to work, with the Stratocaster in his hands and a musical vocabulary that refuses to stay in one lane. After you experience Rey the performer, get to know Rey the artist through our social channels on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and, of course, YouTube.
A multicultural artist from a multicultural city, Rey Rodriguez is breaking the rules and creating his own musical gumbo—one part Cuban, one part rock ’n’ roll, a little blues, a little country, a touch of New Orleans and a whole lot of Miami. That’s what makes Rey so much fun to watch and even more interesting to hear. Don’t Tell Me How to Art, Miami!
