Dafnis Prieto

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, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Arturo O’Farrill, Dave Samuels, and Michel Camilo, 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. Since 2015, he has taught at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami 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 * 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 * Ab