In his later years, he founded a new group, los Acerekó, featuring Tata Güines, Changuito and Joel Hierrezuelo among others.
Rodríguez is remembered for his collaborations with Carlos "Patato" Valdés, his tenure with Jesús Alemañy's Cubanismo and for his distinctly Afro-Cuban playing style, reflecting the legacy of Peruchín and Lilí Martínez.
[3] In the next decade he would play with dozens of groups, finding it hard to establish himself as the core member of any orchestra due to his personal convictions and rivalries with other musicians.
[3] After the dissolution of Conjunto Sensación, Rodríguez played Vicentico Valdés before joining Willie Rosario's group for one year.
In 1972, Rodríguez moved to Miami, where he stayed for four years as a member of José Fajardo's group and also as a live accompanist for singers such as Lucecita Benítez, Vicentico Valdés (again), and Orlando Contreras.
[3] He returned to New York in 1976, and was invited by percussionist Carlos "Patato" Valdés to play on his new album, Ready for Freddie, released by Latin Percussion.
[1][3] He then played with Charanga 76 for two years, and recorded many albums as a side man, including three with his favorite singer, Justo Betancourt.
Between 1994 and 1995, he invited Cuban artists from New York, such as Roberto Torres and Papaíto, for live shows in Paris, where the Latin scene was growing.
In the early 2000s, he formed his own group called Acerekó and recorded the album Cuban Jazz, featuring Tata Güines, Changuito, Bobby Carcassés and Joel Hierrezuelo.
With regards to his Afro-Cuban style of piano playing, Rodríguez is considered a disciple of Peruchín, who was a good friend of his.