Daniel Prim

Latin Grammy-Winning Drummer, Percussionist, Composer, and Educator

Daniel Prim is a Latin Grammy-winning drummer, percussionist, composer, and educator born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Known for his distinctive approach to rhythm and improvisation, Prim draws from jazz, Afro-Venezuelan traditions, and Latin American music to create a musical language that bridges his cultural heritage with contemporary jazz.

Music played a central role in Prim's upbringing, and his musical education began at home. At the age of eleven, he enrolled at the José Reyna School of Music before continuing his formal studies at the prestigious Simón Bolívar Conservatory of Music, part of Venezuela's National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras. These formative experiences established the foundation for a career that has taken him across the Americas and Europe as a performer and educator.

Throughout his career, Prim has performed at some of the world's most celebrated venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Smalls Jazz Club, and Mezzrow Jazz Club in New York City. He has also appeared as a featured percussionist at Bosphorus Cymbal Fest and has presented masterclasses exploring Afro-Venezuelan musical traditions at renowned institutions such as Berklee College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music.

In 2020, Prim contributed to Ricky Martin's critically acclaimed EP PAUSA, a Billboard chart-topping project featuring collaborations with Bad Bunny, Residente, and other prominent artists. The recording received the Latin Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards, marking a significant milestone in Prim's recording career.

As a bandleader and recording artist, Prim continues to explore the relationship between traditional Venezuelan rhythms and modern jazz improvisation. In February 2024, he released his debut album, Home, under the name Daniel Prim y Su Parampampan, featuring Adam O'Farrill, Juanma Trujillo, and Manuel Márquez. The album offers a deeply personal interpretation of the Afro-Venezuelan folk music that shaped his childhood, blending traditional rhythmic structures with the freedom and spontaneity of contemporary jazz. Beyond its musical exploration, Home reflects the social and emotional complexities of contemporary Venezuela while celebrating the resilience, cultural identity, and vitality of its people.

Prim is also a founding member of Caracas Trio, alongside vibraphonist Juan Diego Villalobos and pianist Gabriel Chakarji. The ensemble reimagines traditional Venezuelan music through the lens of contemporary jazz, combining folkloric influences with innovative arrangements and improvisation. Caracas Trio has appeared at prominent venues and cultural institutions, including The Jazz Gallery in New York City, NPR, the Kennedy Center, and Black Cat in San Francisco. The group has also shared performances with distinguished musicians such as Miguel Zenón, Michael Rodriguez, and Yosvany Terry. In October 2025, Caracas Trio released its debut album, Folklore, which received a nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 27th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in 2026.

In August 2026, Prim was invited by acclaimed drummer Ari Hoenig to participate in Rhythm Residencies, a drumming festival bringing together leading voices in contemporary percussion. During the event, he shared the stage with internationally recognized drummers including Eric Harland, Dafnis Prieto, Francisco Mela, Allison Miller, Joe Dyson, and Will Calhoun, among others.

Continuing the artistic vision introduced on Home, Prim released his first live album, Fiesta en Casa, in September 2026. Recorded at CloseUp, an intimate jazz venue in New York City, the album features Adam O'Farrill on trumpet, Tony Davis on guitar, and Manny Márquez Jr. on Venezuelan percussion. Revisiting compositions from his debut recording, Fiesta en Casa offers fresh interpretations that expand the music's rhythmic, stylistic, and improvisational possibilities. Through a dynamic live setting, the album captures the spontaneous interaction between the musicians while presenting a broader perspective on traditional Venezuelan folk music and its connection to contemporary jazz.

Based in New York City, Prim remains an active and sought-after performer, collaborating with a diverse range of internationally acclaimed artists, including James Zollar, Luis Perdomo, Tony Davis, Stafford Hunter, Etienne Charles, Roberto Quintero, Carlos Henríquez, Jorge Glem, Roy Wooten, Ella Bric, Adam O'Farrill, Dayna Stephens, and Yunior Terry, among many others.

Through his work as a performer, composer, bandleader, and educator, Daniel Prim continues to develop a distinctive artistic voice rooted in Venezuelan musical traditions while embracing the creative possibilities of modern jazz. His commitment to cultural preservation, rhythmic innovation, and musical exploration reflects an ongoing dedication to connecting tradition with new forms of artistic expression.

SELECT RECORDINGS

Daniel Prim y Su Parampampan (Live at CloseUp)

David Leon trio (Live at CloseUp)

Caracas Trio - Folklore

Tony Davis

Ricky Martin

Daniel Prim & Juan Diego Villalobos

Rafa Pino

Marcela Lucatelli & Daniel Prim

Gabriel Chakarji

Baden Goyo Trio

Eric Chacón

Antonio Fernández Ríoss

Sisa Michalidesova

Jake Leckie

Spiral Pitch

Forever Farewell

1ra Edicion

Fiesta en Casa by Daniel Prim y su Parampampan

Recorded Live at Close Up, New York City

Released September 17, 2026

Full album available on BANDCAMP

Fiesta en Casa is the first live album by Latin Grammy Award-winning drummer and percussionist Daniel Prim, released under his project Daniel Prim y Su Parampampan. A continuation of his debut album, Home, this recording takes listeners deeper into the rhythms, melodies, and traditions of Venezuela, where music has always been an essential part of family gatherings, celebrations, and everyday life. Recorded live at Close Up in New York City, Fiesta en Casa captures the spontaneity, intimacy, and joyful spirit of the parampampans that shaped Daniel's childhood in Caracas.

Joined by Adam O'Farrill on trumpet, Tony Davis on guitar, and Manny Márquez Jr. on percussion, Daniel revisits traditional Afro-Venezuelan songs through a fresh and adventurous musical perspective. Rather than simply recreating the arrangements from Home, the ensemble allows the music to unfold naturally through collective improvisation, deep listening, and spontaneous interaction. Melodies become conversations, rhythms transform into new textures, and each musician contributes to a shared musical language where tradition and experimentation coexist.

At the heart of the recording is Daniel's uniquely modified drum set, which incorporates maracas, bells, seeds, and unconventional percussion instruments, including his own invention, the Primblock. Inspired by the sounds of nature and the rhythmic vocabulary of Venezuelan folklore, his approach expands the possibilities of the drum set while remaining deeply connected to the musical traditions of his homeland.

More than a live reinterpretation of Home, Fiesta en Casa is a celebration of musical freedom, friendship, cultural identity, and the beauty of collective expression. Through moments of vibrant energy, delicate intimacy, and fearless improvisation, Daniel Prim y Su Parampampan invites listeners into a musical gathering where the past and present meet, traditions evolve, and the spirit of Venezuela continues to resonate.

Rooted in memory yet open to endless possibilities, Fiesta en Casa is a heartfelt tribute to Daniel's ancestors, family, and community—a reminder that folklore is not simply music to be preserved, but a living tradition meant to be shared, explored, and reinvented.

Recorded live at Close Up, January 17, 2026.

Folklore by Caracas trio.

Featuring Juan Diego Villalobos, Gabriel Chakarji, and Daniel Prim

Full album available on BANDCAMP and all the digital platforms

Folklore is the debut album by Caracas Trio, a New York-based ensemble formed by three musicians who grew up in the same neighborhood in Caracas, Venezuela: Juan Diego Villalobos on vibraphone, Gabriel Chakarji on piano and keyboards, and Latin Grammy Award-winning drummer and percussionist Daniel Prim. Rooted in a shared musical heritage and shaped by their individual journeys into New York City's vibrant jazz scene, the trio brings a fresh and imaginative perspective to traditional Venezuelan music.

Drawing inspiration from the rich rhythms, melodies, and communal spirit of Afro-Venezuelan folklore, Folklore reimagines the sounds of their homeland through contemporary jazz, improvisation, and original compositions. The group's distinctive instrumentation of vibraphone, keyboards, and drums creates a colorful musical landscape, enriched by the musicians' shared contributions on vocals, percussion, and bass parts. Each composition becomes a conversation between tradition and innovation, where intricate rhythmic patterns meet expressive melodies and spontaneous musical exploration.

More than a celebration of Venezuelan musical traditions, Folklore reflects the deep connection between friendship, identity, and the experience of carrying one's cultural roots into a new environment. Through their creative interplay, Caracas Trio transforms the music of their childhood into something both deeply personal and universally resonant.

With its infectious rhythms, adventurous improvisations, and rich sonic textures, Folklore invites listeners to experience the beauty, diversity, and enduring spirit of Venezuelan music, honoring its past while imagining new possibilities for its future.

“Daniel has put together a wonderful project here, along with an extremely talented crew of musicians. He is obviously connected with the roots of this music on a very deep level, and you can hear that in everyone’s playing as well as in Daniel’s adventurous arrangements. With this album, he is taking on the very important role of becoming an emissary for Afro-Venezuelan traditions and for having them reach a wider audience. But even more importantly, he is demonstrating once again how so many of these traditions in the Americas are interlocked at their deepest roots, and that the possibilities for experimentation and exploration are endless.”

— Miguel Zenón

HOME by DANIEL PRIM Y SU PARAMPAMPAN
on ears&eyes records

Full album now available on BANDCAMP
La Lavandera and Se Va el Hombre (singles) also now available on SPOTIFY, TIDAL, and APPLE MUSIC

Home is Latin Grammy Award-winning drummer and percussionist Daniel Prim’s first album under his own name, Daniel Prim y Su Parampampan. Daniel grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, where his friends and family gathered at each other’s homes to eat and play music into the night. Music became the rhythm and language of his childhood. Home invites listeners to join Daniel in the parties, or parampampans, where he first learned the folklore songs that weave through the album, breathing new love and life into the heart, soul, and sounds of his homeland.

Adam O’Farrill, Juanma Trujillo, and Manuel Márquez collaborate with Daniel on the album, blending the Afro-Venezuelan traditions with improvisational jazz. Each track reimagines and transforms folklore songs, evoking a spirit of vibrancy and resilience.

Traditional Afro-Venezuelan songs feature tambor, melodic vocals, and sometimes other elements, such as the maracas. They are conversations constructed through beautiful melodies, which often take the form of question and answer. For this album, Daniel decided to bring those melodies and conversations alive, evoking the singer’s emotions and feelings via trumpet and guitar, alongside Daniel’s modified drum set. In this way, Daniel brings the music of his memories forward, while making sure the complex layers of its history are not left behind. Rich with the rhythms of the past and future, celestial traditions, and sublime moments, Daniel Prim y Su Parampampan encourages listeners to share in the joy, unity, and beauty of Venezuela, its music, and its people.