Dafnis Prieto is a Cuban-born EVANS artist, drummer, composer, and educator whose innovations have reshaped jazz and Afro-Caribbean percussion. A MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and GRAMMY winner, he’s known for his revolutionary approach to rhythm and genre fusion, with credits across jazz, chamber, and pop. He’s performed with everyone from Eddie Palmieri, Michel Camilo, Steve Coleman, and Andrew Hill, and currently teaches at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. Prieto leads several ensembles including his namesake, the Dafnis Prieto Big Band, and is the founder of Dafnison Music. His educational work includes books like A World of Rhythmic Possibilities and Rhythmic Synchronicity, and he continues to inspire the next generation through teaching, composing, and performing worldwide.
