LIsette Santiago

Lisette Santiago is a Grammy Award-winning (2020) and Grammy-nominated (2025) percussionist, vocalist, composer, and educator from Brooklyn, New York, whose career spans Latin, Brazilian, jazz, Afro-Cuban, theater, and contemporary music.

Her musical journey began at age nine, when she was accepted into the Metropolitan Children’s Opera. She went on to receive classical and jazz vocal training at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and through Columbia University’s joint program with The Juilliard School.

Primarily versed in Latin percussion, Lisette deepened her craft through study and performance in both Cuba and the United States. She first gained recognition as one of only a handful of female Batá players in the U.S., establishing herself in a tradition historically dominated by men. Her versatility soon led her into New York City’s vibrant Brazilian music scene, where she toured extensively with acclaimed Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista as both a featured vocalist and percussionist.

Lisette later expanded into musical theater as a pit percussionist, performing at venues including Barrington Stage Company, La MaMa E.T.C., and Paper Mill Playhouse. Her wide-ranging musicality has led to recordings and performances across genres with artists including Jason Robert Brown, Cyro Baptista, Jeremy Pelt, Ron Carter, Warren Smith, Femi Kuti, and Vernon Reid.

Equally at home as a collaborative musician and bandleader, Lisette has performed on some of the country’s most celebrated stages, including Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and The Kennedy Center. Her career reflects a distinctive combination of rhythmic mastery, vocal artistry, cultural fluency, and a fearless ability to move across musical worlds.