Dawn Drake Singer from Brooklyn, NY

Dawn Drake is a percussionist, singer and bass player. Since moving to New York in 1995, she studied in Cuba as well as East Harlem, learning congas and batá with Afrocuba de Matanzas, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Cutumba, Johnny Almendra and Roberto Vizcaino. She also studied in Brazil. She has been accompanying Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Haitian dancers on congas for many years. She has performed on percussion with Me’shell N’degeocello, Cyro Baptista’s Beat the Donkey, Carole Steele, Johnny Almendra and Los Jovenes del Barrio, Kokolo, Lulada Club, Femm Nameless, La Manga and Fulaso. She is available for parties as a solo percussionist and she also performs with DJs and bands. She is a professor of Caribbean Music at John Jay College and regularly plays in her classrooms as well.