Jose Caridad Hernandez, known as “Perico,” was born in Pinar del Río, Cuba, and raised in Havana, where his deep connection to music began at an early age. At just seven years old, he was captivated by the sound of street rumberos, which led him to the congas, and by age seventeen he was recruited as a conguero and coro singer for the renowned 1950s group Conjunto Casino, performing regularly at the Hotel Capri and recording for RCA, becoming part of one of Cuba’s most elegant and influential orchestras.
In 1970, he immigrated to the United States, where he rebuilt his musical career and became a versatile and in-demand percussionist, working with artists such as Lalo Schifrin, El Chicano, Charo, Johnny Martínez, and Poncho Sánchez. In his later years, Perico focused on composition, arranging, and musical direction, serving as musical director for the Caravana Cubana recordings and collaborating with major figures including Chucho Valdés, Maraca, Pío Leyva, Bobby Carcasses, and Bamboleo. He also produced his own projects, including Cuento en Clave (2008) and co-produced Rompiendo la Rutina with Nachito Herrera (2014), leaving behind a legacy deeply rooted in Cuban tradition and expanded through decades of international collaboration.