Born a little over a decade after the triumphant, and equally disruptive Cuban revolution, Pedro Luis Mayor grew up in a Protestant family in which Cuban music was more of a daily intruder from the neighborhood than a part of their chosen entertainment. His earlier musical references were the music of the Wesley brothers and other composers from the Methodist hymnal, as well as some seasonal classical music, which he still loves. 

It was not until years later, in his early 20s, that he became interested in jazz after attending a series of performances by a local jazz legend in Havana. Pedro Luis came to the US in 1997 as a student after finishing his studies at the Ignacio Cervantes Conservatory.