dawn drake

            Dawn Drake is an active musician in NYC's eclectic music scene.  She studied percussion in Ghana, West Africa then went on to pursue Afro-Cuban batá (sacred drums of the Yoruba people) and Latin percussion in Cuba and NYC, as well as samba percussion in Brazil. She holds a Masters degree in Ethnomusicology and an MFA in Composition and Performance from California Institute of the Arts.  

         She is a percussionist, bass player, singer and composer/songwriter who leads and writes music for her band, Dawn Drake & ZapOte, a groove ensemble which plays a genre defying brand of pop and funk that brings in influences from Cuba, Brazil, the Caribbean, and West Africa with original lyrics that focus on love, empathy, environmental as well as economic, racial, gender and social justice themes.  In addition to the full ensemble, the band has a percussion/parade component and they have led many street parades and outdoor fairs for the business districts of Brooklyn as well as HONK NYC! in the samba and samba reggae idiom. 
            Currently, in addition to directing ZapOte, Dawn Drake is the conguera for Lulada Club, NYC's all female salsa band with a busy performance and touring schedule. She also plays with area Latin music bands Conjunto Sotito, Cinco 12, Green Mambo, and other international artists like Nkumu Katalay from the Congo, Sunny Jain and more.  She made her Broadway debut as a percussionist on David Byrne's Here Lies Love in 2023. She is a Professor of Caribbean Music at John Jay College.

     She is a freelance percussionist and bassplayer for hire in addition to her creative activities. You can find Dawn Drake's original music  at https://www.dawndrake.com/music  as well as on all streaming platforms.