Bio | César Puente

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Hailing from the desert city of Matehuala, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, César Puente is an Amsterdam-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, and recording artist. His musical journey began at age 13 on the guitar, followed by cello and piano at 17, before settling on the double bass at 18. His eclectic musical tastes led him to explore a wide range of genres and instruments from an early age.

Puente has navigated with diligence through the streams of jazz, blues, and Mexican music, developing a versatile artistic identity reinforced by the many recordings and ensembles he has worked with. While actively engaging with the jazz and blues scenes, his first and enduring musical love has always been Mexican music. In 2023, he founded Zorzal in Amsterdam to bring traditional Mexican Son Huasteco music to the Netherlands and Europe. The ensemble completed its first European international tour in December 2025.

Born in 1995 into a family with no musical background, Puente nevertheless gravitated toward music as a child. One of his earliest experiences was singing in the school choir at age eight; from then on, he spent countless hours listening to music, gradually becoming certain that it would be his life’s calling.

Before relocating to Amsterdam, Puente participated in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Advanced Workshops for Jazz Performers at the National Arts Center (Centro Nacional de las Artes) in Mexico, hosted by DeQuinta Producciones. He completed his studies in the jazz program at the Centro de las Artes San Luis Potosí in 2016.

Puente’s many musical facets have taken him around the world as a touring musician, performing across Asia (South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand), North and South America (Mexico and Brazil), and Europe (Spain, Belgium, Lithuania, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Bulgaria).

Holding a master’s degree in jazz double bass from the Conservatory of Amsterdam (2024), Puente is currently touring internationally while also working with the recently founded Stichting Perron, an organization dedicated to supporting Latin American music and culture in the Netherlands, fostering connection and reducing discrimination through music.