Dafnis Prieto (born July 31, 1974) is a Cuban-American drummer, bandleader, and educator.

Career

In his home town of Santa Clara, Cuba, he studied percussion and guitar. During his teens, he moved to Havana to study at the National School of Music. He concentrated on classical music and Afro Cuban music before paying more attention to jazz. In 1999, when he was twenty-five, he moved to New York City, where he worked with Eddie Palmieri, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Arturo O'Farrill, Dave Samuels, and Michel Camilo. During the 2000s, he started a quartet, with members including Brian Lynch, Luis Perdomo, Peter Apfelbaum, and Hans Glawischnig. He wrote, produced, and arranged his debut album, About the Monks (Zoho Music, 2005).^[1]

Prieto has conducted master classes, clinics, and workshops. Since 2005, he has been a member of the music faculty at New York University. He teaches at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida.

Awards and honors

• MacArthur Fellow, 2011^[2]
• Grammy Award nomination, Best Latin Jazz Album, Dafnis Prieto Absolute Quintet, 2007
• Latin Grammy nomination, Best New Artist, 2007

Discography

• About the Monks (Zoho, 2005)
• Absolute Quintet (Zoho, 2006)
• Taking the Soul for a Walk (CD Baby/Dafnison, 2008)
• Live at Jazz Standard NYC (CD Baby/Dafnison, 2009)
• Dafnis Prieto Proverb Trio (CD Baby/Dafnison, 2012)^[3]

See also

• Music of Cuba
• Music of New York City

References

External links

• dafnisonmusic.com, Official site
• "NYC Jazz Musician Dafnis Prieto Named MacArthur Foundation Fellow". Brown, Kathryn (September 21, 2011). WCBS-TV. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
• "Dafnis Prieto". NPR Music. Retrieved January 16, 2013.