Dafnis Prieto
Dafnis Prieto 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, Grammy Award for Best [Latin Jazz Album|Best Latin Jazz Album], Dafnis Prieto Absolute Quintet
- 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
- About the Monks
- Absolute Quintet
- Taking the Soul for a Walk
- Live at Jazz Standard NYC
- Proverb Trio
- Triangles and Circles
- Back to the Sunset
- Transparency
- Cantar
- ''3 Sides of the Coin''
As sideman
- The Gathering
- Birds of a Feather
- Mosaic
- Peter Apfelbaum, It Is Written
- Concha Buika, La Noche Más Larga
- Jane Bunnett, Ritmo + Soul
- Michel Camilo, Spirit of the Moment
- Steve Coleman, Lucidarium
- Matt Dusk, Two Shots
- Kip Hanrahan, Beautiful Scars
- Paquito Hechavarria, Frankly
- Brian Hughes, One 2 One
- D. D. Jackson, Sigame
- D. D. Jackson, Suite for New York
- Ronny Jordan, London Lowdown
- Nino Josele, Espanola
- Brian Lynch, Spheres of Influence Suite
- Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri, Simpatico
- Carlos Maza, Zapato Kiko
- Arturo O'Farrill, Live in Brooklyn
- Eddie Palmieri, La Perfecta II
- Henry Threadgill, Everybodys Mouth's a Book
- Henry Threadgill, Up Popped the Two Lips
- Yerba Buena, Follow Me
- John Zorn, Voices in the Wilderness
- 2001: "B. Smooth" recorded by John Benítez Trio, Descarga in New York
- 2002: "El Guarachero Intrigozo " and "Masacoteando " recorded by Caribbean Jazz Project, The Gathering
- 2003: "Against the Law" recorded by Caribbean Jazz Project, Birds of a Feather
- 2008: "Echo-dimensions" recorded by Meridian Arts Ensemble, Timbrando
- 2008: "Song for Chico" recorded by Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Song for Chico
- 2008: "The Guiros Talk" and "Claveteando" recorded by Ethos Percussion Group, Building
- 2008: "Vida Sin Miel" recorded by Arturo O'Farrill & Claudia Acuña, In These Shoes
- 2009: "Trail of Memories" recorded by Jon Nelson, Fable
- 2015: "The Triumphant Journey" recorded by Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Cuba: The Conversation Continues
Books
- 2016: . Dafnison Music..
- 2020: . Dafnison Music..
- 2025: . Dafnison Music..