Manny Santos is a jazz percussionist, bandleader, and vocalist who hails from New Bedford, Massachusetts and is of Cape Verdean decent. He became interested in jazz percussion at an early age and began performing professionally at the age of 15. His future would become one of polyrhythmic expressionism, inclusive of the jazz and Latin experience.

Manny has worked with a host of musicians spanning an over 30-year musical caree. He has worked with multiple Grammy Award Nominee and Recipient vocalist Kurt Elling (Democratic National Convention in Boston 2004), Andre Ward, Donald Harrison, Maurice Starr, Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith), Ricki Ford, Ran Blake, Hilliard Green, Walter Beasley, and the late Jaki Byard to name but a few.