Primary Instrument: Drums
Dafnis Prieto - drums, percussion
His arrival in the U.S has been compared by to that of an asteroid hitting New York. Indeed, within a short period of time Dafnis Prieto's revolutionary drumming techniques had a powerful impact on both the Latin and Jazz music scene, locally and internationally. Having studied at the school of Fine Arts in Santa Clara as a youngster and later at the National School of Music in Havana, Prieto obtained a thorough classical education while broadening his knowledge of Afro-Cuban music, jazz and world music outside of the academy.
He first toured Europe with pianist Carlos Maza and Ramon Valle and the groundbreaking group “Columna B” together with pianist Roberto Carcassés. A resident of New York since only 1999, he has already played in bands led by Henry Threadgill, Steve Coleman, Eddie Palmieri, Chico and Arturo O'Farrill Dave Samuels & The Caribbean Jazz Project, Michel Camilo, Chucho Valdés, Bobby Carcassés, Claudia Anuña, Roy Hargrove, Don Byron, Andrew Hill, among others. He has performed at many national and international music festivals as a sideman and as bandleader.
As a composer, he has created music for dance, film, chamber ensembles, and most notably for his own bands, ranging from duets to his “Small Big Band” and including the distinctively different groups featured on his two acclaimed recordings as a leader. “About the Monks,”and “Absolute Quintet.”
He has received new works commissions, grants, and fellowships from Chamber Music America, Jazz at Lincoln Center, East Carolina University, Meet the Composer, Award as Up & Coming Musician of the Year by JJA, 2006. Also a gifted educator, Prieto has conducted numerous master classes, clinics, and workshops. Since 2005, he has been a member of the NYU Music Faculty. .
