Adrian Quesada | Trish Toledo

Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated artist Adrian Quesada is an adventurous musician best known as the co-founder, guitarist, and producer of the 7-time Grammy-nominated band Black Pumas. The band first brought their unbridled take on psychedelic soul to their 2019 self-titled debut—a widely acclaimed LP that was nominated for Album of the Year, with smash singles like “Colors” earning nominations for “Record of the Year” and “Best American Roots Performance” and a No. 1 spot at AAA Radio. They became known for their exhilarating live show, with sold-out tours across North and South America and Europe. Black Pumas’ meteoric rise also included performances at the Grammys and at President Biden’s Inauguration, appearances across all major TV programs, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, an award for “Emerging Act of the Year”from the Americana Music Association, and sales of over a million albums worldwide.

A lifelong Texan, Quesada’s deep musical history has seen him producing and performing in projects spanning funk, soul, psychedelia, and diverse strands of Latin music. In 2022, he released two solo albums: Boleros Psicodélicos, a collaborative album recapturing the sound and feel of romantic Latin ballads of the 60s and 70s with features by iLe (Calle 13), Money Mark (Beastie Boys), Gaby Moreno, and more; and Jaguar Sound, an instrumental album honoring his foundational inspirations of hip-hop and cinematic scores.

In 2023, Black Pumas released their highly anticipated sophomore album, Chronicles of a Diamond. The lead single “More Than a Love Song” scored a 2024 Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song. That same year, Quesada won a Latin Grammy for Best Rock Song for his work with Diamante Eléctrico.

Quesada recently announced his next opus, Boleros Psicodélicos II, a sequel to 2022’s acclaimed Boleros Psicodélicos LP. Boleros Psicodélicos II is a deeply personal but profoundly communal album featuring Cuco, iLe, Angélica Garcia, Ed Maverick, Hermanos Gutiérrez, Monsieur Periné, Gepe, Dayme Arocena, and others, combining original music with reimagined renditions of classic baladas. The album honors a specific moment in time while introducing a wider world of listeners to a vital and enduring subgenre in all of its romantic glory.

Quesada has also found a home in film and TV, working on numerous projects, and in 2025 he received an Academy Award nomination for “Best Original Song” for the song “Like a Bird” from the a24 film Sing Sing. 

Quesada’s prolific career has seen him collaborate with the likes of Prince, Los Lobos, and Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA. He has also been a member of such eclectic bands as Grammy-winners Grupo Fantasma, Brownout, and Ocote Soul Sounds.

Quesada also runs Electric Deluxe Recorders in Austin, TX, the studio where Black Pumas and numerous others have recorded.