Jazz Tumbatá, a Cuban jazz group founded in 1994 by the prominent Cuban vocalist and pianist Lilia Expósito Pino, better known as Bellita.

Jazz Tumbatá was originally a duo, comprised of Bellita, who performed as a singer and also played piano and timbale; the other member of the duo was Miguel Miranda, who played electric bass and conga drums.

Later, the duo became a trio, completed by the presence of percussionist Alexander Nápoles, who played the batá, tumbadora, bongó, timbale, and güiro.

Jazz Tumbatá’s instrumental format is made up of various percussion instruments, so it can be said that it’s a percussion group whose sole instrument is the voice. Its members have also included, among others, Brazilian singer Ellis Regina. They perform jazz fused with Afro-Cuban music.

Jazz Tumbatá is an impressive group, due to its instrumental format composed of numerous instruments and the group consisting of only three musicians.

In 1997, they recorded their first album, Jazz Tumbatá, for the US label Round World Music. Among the musicians invited to participate were Jesús Díaz and Octavio Rodríguez (percussionists), Joel Terry (flutist), and Pablo Menéndez (guitarist). The album was pre-nominated for a Grammy in the Latin music category.

In 1998, Jazz Tumbatá toured the United States. In 2000, they performed at La Zorra y el Cuervo (155 Calle 23, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana) alongside Barrett Martin and Gary Bartz. In 2005, they participated in the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival, where they shared the stage with maestro Chucho Valdés. At the event, they performed a selection of pieces from many Caribbean rhythm mixes, such as: En directo (Live), Cambiando el Tema (Changing the Theme), Jazz Tumbatá (Beauty and the Beast), Live Father, Live Son (Live Father), Tanibel (Live Son), and Malojang (Live Son).

Jazz Tumbatá has performed at numerous venues and musical events, both Cuban and international, including jazz festivals held in Havana and in countries such as Venezuela, Germany, and the United States. Other festivals on this list include the Stuttgart Jazz Open (Germany), Dream Palace (New Orleans), Music Bridge (Havana, 1999), and the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival (2005), among others.