Multi-Juno Award winner and Grammy-nominated Cuban-Canadian percussionist and bandleader Joaquin Núñez is known for his dynamic performances that bridge traditional and contemporary expressions of Cuban music, jazz, and popular genres. As founder of the Cuban-Canadian project Habana Safari, Joaquin showcases the evolution of Cuban music—from its early roots to modern interpretations. The group's debut album, Ruta de la Clave, set for digital release on May 23, 2025, features all original compositions by Joaquin and collaborations with rising Cuban piano innovator Dayramir González (New York).

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Joaquin’s career has spanned Canada, Cuba, and international stages. Back in Cuba, Joaquin developed a strong foundation in both Afro-Cuban folkloric and contemporary popular music. Now based in Toronto, he continues to be a sought-after performer, producer, and educator. He has shared the stage with major jazz and pop figures, including David Foster and Sarah McLachlan, and with Chucho Valdez and Italian superstar Zucchero’s La Sesión Cubana project, performing in iconic venues such as London’s Royal Albert Hall, New York’s Madison Square Garden, and Toronto’s Massey Hall. 

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Núñez was a featured performer on the Juno-winning and Grammy-nominated album From the Heart by Hilario Durán, alongside jazz luminaries Paquito D’Rivera, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Randy Brecker, and José Luis Quintana “Changuito”.

Beyond concert stages, Joaquin is active in the world of musical theatre, having performed in major productions such as Tina – The Musical, Dirty Dancing, Disney’s The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. He is also the principal percussionist with the multi-platinum Canadian quartet “The Tenors.”

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He serves  on the faculty of Humber College’s Music Department, one of Canada’s premier music schools, and serves as lead facilitator for the TDSB Community Music Program while participating in a variety of music outreach initiatives across Ontario.

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REVIEWS

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"… A rich sonic journey tracing the evolution of Afro-Cuban rhythms marked by the clave (that typical heartbeat) from the “Contradanza" in the 18th century (and its European influences, particularly French), to Danzon, Changüi, Son, and Rumba, all in a contemporary form thanks to a fusion with New York jazz, its harmonic complexities, and improvisations, while also revealing the influence of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie."
— La Gazette Bleu (★★★★★)

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"… A resounding statement from one of the genre’s most thoughtful craftsmen. Ruta de la Clave, the new album from Cuban-Canadian percussionist, composer, producer, and conductor Joaquín Núñez, is nothing short of a revelation, a project five years in the making, and quite possibly one of the finest Latin jazz albums in recent memory… Ruta de la Clave is a triumph—urgent, radiant, and necessary."
— Paris Move (★★★★★ – Indispensable)

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"… Listenable, stimulating, thoughtful, a bit eclectic and, above all, musical."
— Richard J. Salvucci, All About Jazz (★★★½)