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

Career

In his home town of Santa Clara, Cuba, Prieto 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, Prieto moved to New York City, where he worked with

Eddie Palmieri Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936) is an American Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Puerto Rican ancestry. He is the founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive. Early life Pal ...

, Carlos Barbosa-Lima,

Arturo O'Farrill Arturo O'Farrill (born June 22, 1960) is a jazz musician, the son of Latin jazz musician, arranger and bandleader Chico O'Farrill,

Dave Samuels David Alan Samuels (October 9, 1948 – April 22, 2019) was an American vibraphone and marimba player who spent many years with the contemporary jazz group Spyro Gyra. His recordings and live performances during that period also reflect his pr ...

, and

Michel Camilo Michel Camilo (born April 4, 1954) is a Grammy-award winning pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work. Camilo lists some of his main influences as Chick Corea, Keith Ja ...

, among many others. Prieto has conducted master classes, clinics, and workshops. From 2005 to 2015, he was a member of the music faculty at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

. Since 2015, he has taught at the

Frost School of Music Frost School of Music is the music school at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. From 1926 to 2003, it was known as University of Miami School of Music. Academics and programs The University of Miami's Frost School of Music was on ...

at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...

in Miami, Florida.

Awards and honors

* 2007 Grammy nomination, Best Latin Jazz Album, Dafnis Prieto ''Absolute Quintet'' (Zoho Music) * 2007 Latin Grammy nomination, Best New Artist * 2011

MacArthur Fellow The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to between 20 and 30 ind ...

* 2018 Latin Grammy nomination, Best Latin Jazz Album, ''Back to the Sunset'' * 2018 Grammy Award, Best Latin Jazz Album, ''Back to the Sunset'' * 2021 Grammy nomination, Best Latin Jazz Album, ''Transparency''

Discography

As leader

* ''About the Monks'' (Zoho, 2004) * ''Absolute Quintet'' (Zoho, 2006) * ''Taking the Soul for a Walk'' (Dafnison, 2008) * ''Live at Jazz Standard NYC'' (Dafnison, 2009) * ''Proverb Trio'' (Dafnison, 2012) * ''Triangles and Circles'' (Dafnison, 2015) * ''Back to the Sunset'' (Dafnison, 2018) * ''Transparency'' (Dafnison, 2020) * ''Cantar'' (Dafnison, 2022)

As sideman

With

Caribbean Jazz Project Caribbean Jazz Project was a Latin jazz band founded in 1993. The original group featured Dave Samuels, Paquito D'Rivera, and Andy Narell. After their second album, D'Rivera and Narell left the group, although both returned as guest stars. Under ...

* ''The Gathering'' (Concord Picante, 2002) * ''Birds of a Feather'' (Concord Picante, 2003) * ''Mosaic'' (Concord Picante, 2006) With others *

Peter Apfelbaum Peter Noah Apfelbaum (born August 21, 1960) is an American avant-garde jazz pianist, tenor saxophonist, drummer, and composer born in Berkeley, California. Career Apfelbaum formed the Hieroglyphics Ensemble in 1977. He performed with Carla Bley ...

, ''It Is Written'' (ACT, 2005) *

Concha Buika María Concepción Balboa Buika (born 11 May 1972), known as Concha Buika or Buika, is a Spanish singer. Her album ''Niña de Fuego'' was nominated for the 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year and ''La Noche Más Larga'' was nominated ...

, '' La Noche Más Larga'' (Warner Music Spain, 2013) *

Jane Bunnett Mary Jane Bunnett, (born October 22, 1956) is a Canadian musician and educator. A soprano saxophonist, flautist and bandleader, she is especially known for performing Afro-Cuban jazz. She travels regularly to Cuba to perform with Cuban musicians. ...

, ''Ritmo + Soul'' (Blue Note, 2000) *

, ''Spirit of the Moment'' (Telarc, 2007) *

Steve Coleman Steve Coleman (born September 20, 1956) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader and music theorist. In 2014, he was named a MacArthur Fellow. Early life Steve Coleman was born and grew up in South Side, Chicago. He started playing al ...

, ''Lucidarium'' (Label Bleu, 2004) *

Matt Dusk Matthew-Aaron Dusk (born November 19, 1978) is a Canadian jazz vocalist. He has four certified gold albums: ''Two Shots'', '' Good News'', ''Old School Yule!'' and ''JetSetJazz'', and two certified platinum albums; ''My Funny Valentine: The Chet ...

, ''Two Shots'' (Decca, 2004) *

Kip Hanrahan Kip Hanrahan (born December 9, 1954) is an American jazz music impresario, record producer and percussionist. Personal life Hanrahan was born in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in the Bronx to an Irish-Jewish family. His father left when he was 6 m ...

, ''Beautiful Scars'' (American Clave, 2008) * Paquito Hechavarria, ''Frankly'' (Calle 54,) * Brian Hughes, ''One 2 One'' (Higher Octave, 1998) *

D. D. Jackson Robert Cleanth Kai-Nen "D. D." Jackson (born January 25, 1967) is a Canadian–American jazz pianist and composer. His work as a leader or co-leader appears on 13 CDs. He won the Juno Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album – Instrumental in 20 ...

, ''Sigame'' (Justin Time, 2001) * D. D. Jackson, ''Suite for New York'' (Justin Time, 2003) *

Ronny Jordan Robert Laurence Albert Simpson, known professionally as Ronny Jordan (29 November 1962 – 13 January 2014) was a British guitarist and part of the acid jazz movement at the end of the twentieth century. Jordan described his music as "urban jaz ...

, ''London Lowdown'' (Blue Note, 2001) *

Nino Josele Nino or Niño may refer to: *Nino (name) *Niño (name) * Antonin Scalia, American Supreme Court justice whose nickname was "Nino" *El Niño, a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean *NINO, an abbreviation for National Insurance number in th ...

, ''Espanola'' (DRO, 2009) * Brian Lynch, ''Spheres of Influence Suite'' (2006) * Brian Lynch/

, ''Simpatico'' (ArtistShare, 2006) *

Carlos Maza Carlos Manuel Maza (born April 9, 1988) is an American journalist and video producer who started the '' Vox'' series ''Strikethrough''. The ''Columbia Journalism Review'' described him as "Brian Stelter meets NowThis". Early and personal life M ...

, ''Zapato Kiko'' (Owl, 1994) *

Arturo O'Farrill Arturo O'Farrill (born June 22, 1960) is a jazz musician, the son of Latin jazz musician, arranger and bandleader Chico O'Farrill,

, ''Live in Brooklyn'' (Zoho, 2005) *

, ''La Perfecta II'' (Concord, 2002) *

Henry Threadgill Henry Threadgill (born February 15, 1944) is an American composer, saxophonist and flautist. He came to prominence in the 1970s leading ensembles rooted in jazz but with unusual instrumentation and often incorporating other genres of music. He h ...

, ''Everybodys Mouth's a Book'' (Pi, 2001) * Henry Threadgill, ''Up Popped the Two Lips'' (Pi, 2001) *

Yerba Buena Yerba buena or hierba buena is the Spanish name for a number of aromatic plants, most of which belong to the mint family. ''Yerba buena'' translates as "good herb". The specific plant species regarded as ''yerba buena'' varies from region to regi ...

, ''Follow Me'' (Wrasse, 2007) *

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...

, ''Voices in the Wilderness'' (Tzadik, 2003) Recorded by others * 2001: "B. Smooth" recorded by John Benítez Trio, ''Descarga in New York'' (Khaeon) * 2002: "El Guarachero Intrigozo (The Scheming Party Animal)" and "Masacoteando (In the Groove)" recorded by Caribbean Jazz Project, ''The Gathering'' (Concord Picante) * 2003: "Against the Law" recorded by Caribbean Jazz Project, ''Birds of a Feather'' (Concord Picante) * 2008: "Echo-dimensions" recorded by

Meridian Arts Ensemble The Meridian Arts Ensemble is an American chamber music ensemble based in New York City, specializing in the performance of new works for brass and percussion. History The Meridian Arts Ensemble was founded in 1987. The original members of the gr ...

, ''Timbrando'' (Channel Classics) * 2008: "Song for Chico" recorded by Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, ''Song for Chico'' (Zoho) * 2008: "The Guiros Talk" and "Claveteando" recorded by Ethos Percussion Group, ''Building'' (Bribie ) * 2008: "Vida Sin Miel" recorded by Arturo O'Farrill & Claudia Acuña, ''In These Shoes'' (Zoho) * 2009: "Trail of Memories" recorded by Jon Nelson, ''Fable'' (8bells) * 2015: "The Triumphant Journey" recorded by Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, ''Cuba: The Conversation Continues'' (Motéma)

Books

* 2016: ''A World of Rhythmic Possibilities: Drumming Lessons and Reflections on Rhythms'' (Dafnison Music) * 2020: ''Rhythmic Synchronicity. Individual and Collective Rhythmic Skills: A Rhythm Course for Non-Drummers. (Dafnison Music)''

References

External links

Official site

"NYC Jazz Musician Dafnis Prieto Named MacArthur Foundation Fellow"
Brown, Kathryn (September 21, 2011)
At NPR Music

Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2008) {{DEFAULTSORT:Prieto, Dafnis 1974 births Living people People from Santa Clara, Cuba 20th-century American composers 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American drummers 20th-century American educators 20th-century Cuban educators 21st-century American composers 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American drummers 21st-century American educators American jazz bandleaders American jazz composers American jazz drummers American male drummers Cuban expatriates in the United States Cuban jazz composers Cuban jazz percussionists MacArthur Fellows American male jazz composers New York University faculty Grammy Award winners 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century jazz composers 21st-century jazz composers National Art Schools (Cuba) alumni