Global Cuba Fest: 2021

From Cuba, Dafnis Prieto’s revolutionary drumming techniques and compositions had a powerful impact on the Latin and Jazz music scene, nationally and internationally. Various awards include “2011 MacArthur Fellowship Award”, a Grammy Award Winning and Latin Grammy Nomination for “Dafnis Prieto Big Band / Back to the Sunset” in 2018, a Grammy Award Nomination for “Absolute Quintet” as Best Latin Jazz Album, and a Latin Grammy Nomination for “Best New Artist” in 2007. Up & Coming Musician of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2006, Also a gifted educator, Prieto has conducted numerous master classes, clinics, and workshops throughout the world. Dafnis was a faculty member of Jazz studies at NYU from 2005 to 2014, and in 2015 became a faculty member of Frost School of Music at UM (University of Miami). Since his arrival to New York in 1999, Dafnis has worked in bands led by Michel Camilo, Chucho Valdés, Bebo Valdés, Henry Threadgill, Steve Coleman, Eddie Palmieri, Chico and Arturo O’Farrill, Dave Samuels & The Caribbean Jazz Project, Jane Bunnett, D.D. Jackson, Edward Simon, Roy Hargrove, Don Byron and Andrew Hill, among others.

Alain Perez is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, producer and composer. He is known as one of the most versatile artists in the Cuban contemporary scene. In his talk, Alain has worked with Celia Cruz, Paco de Lucía, Enrique Morente, Diego El Cigala, Los Van Van and Issac Delgado. In 2015, he was nominated for the Grammy Latino Awards by the album El alma del Son: Tributo a Matamoros.Alain Perez was nominated to the Latin Grammy Awards 2017, for his album ADN, recorded with distinguished musicians such as Rubén Blades among others.

Julio Montalvo is one of the leading trombonists from the island of Cuba. Songwriter, producer, arranger and session musician, he also appears as a solo artist, directing his own project since 1998, in which he blends Afro-Cuban rhythms with elements of modern Jazz to achieve an ingenious style – New Latin Jazz.