He was born in Havana, Cuba, in the Jesus Maria neighborhood. He studied at the Gerardo Guanche Conservatory in Guanabacoa and later at the National School of Arts. He began playing at an early age in Havana with bands such as Grupo Meñique, Los Diez de la Salsa, Manolin El Medico de la Salsa, Bamboleo, Hector Valentin, Angel Bonne, Oscar Valdes & Diakara and Pachito Alonso y sus Kini Kini. He also participated in the Jazz Plaza 95 and 96 festivals.

In 1996 he went to live in Spain where he collaborated and recorded with different artists such as Bebo Valdes, Sedajazz Big Band, Martirio, Michael Bubble, Andres Cepeda, Cafe Quijano, Macaco, Pat Metheny, Presumptos Implicados, Rey Ruiz, Paquito De Rivera, The Chamorros, David Murray, Nicholas Payton, Jerry Gonzales, Lucrecia.

In 2004 he created his own band in Barcelona called Radio Malanga, recording his first album (Yoff Tongor) in Dakar, Senegal. In Barcelona he plays with several Big Bands such as the Bellaterra Big Band, Barcelona Jazz Orchestra and Big Band Jazz Terrassa accompanying artists such as Charles Tolliver, Slide Hampton, Allen Vizzutti, Benny Golson, Frank Wess, Bobby Shew, Barbara Morrison, Frank Foster In 2010 he moved to NYC where he currently resides and has played with Timbalaye, Larry Harlow, Alfredo (Chocolate) Armenteros, Joe Bataan, Macy Gray, Sammy Figueroa, Richard Bona, Lavoe Orchestra, La India, Eddie Montalvo Orchestra,Victor Manuelle, Brenda K Starr, Jose Mangual JR, among others. In 2017 he created the Amalia Conjunto with which he rescues the sound of the Cuban Conjuntos of the 50s.