Born in Cuba, Paquito D’Rivera was taught saxophone by his father, a classical saxophonist who introduced him to American jazz. He was a founder member of the Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna and Quinteto Cubano de Jazz but found the communist regime put too many constraints on musical genres. While on tour in Spain in 1980 he defected to the US where he pursued his love of differing musical styles. A clarinettist, saxophonist and composer, D’Rivera is the only musician to have won GRAMMY Awards in Latin jazz and classical.