Biography
Jafet Pérez is a Dominican drummer and percussionist born and raised between Santiago de los Caballeros and the rural community of Caños de Maimon in the Dominican Republic. He began playing music at age 8 in church, learning informally through community mentorship rather than formal conservatory training. His foundational musical education came from figures he considers his "musical father," Rafelito Mirabal, alongside church drummer Neftali Louis and a constellation of Santiago musicians including Arturo Saleta, Pablito Drum, and percussionists Cukin Curiel and Victor Acosta. Before leaving the Dominican Republic, Pérez spent five years as a cruise ship musician, performing with Carnival Cruise Lines' Latin band for up to nine months a year — an experience that deepened his fluency in Caribbean rhythms across the region. He also played with MoonJazz, a Santiago fusion jazz ensemble, and served as permanent drummer for Rafelito Mirabal's Sistema Temperado.
Pérez relocated to New Orleans in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, arriving under difficult circumstances and spending roughly two and a half years away from music while working restaurant and construction jobs to support his wife and three children. His return to performing was sparked by an informal invitation to play tambora at a birthday party, where Cuban musician Alexey Martí took notice and helped connect him to the city's live music circuit. Through collaborator Víctor Campbell and an introduction to Ben Jaffe, creative director of Preservation Hall, Pérez was eventually offered the drummer seat in the Preservation Hall Jazz Band — a moment he described as "a dream I didn't dream, that came true in an incredible way." He also joined the Grammy-winning New Orleans Nightcrawlers brass band and has recorded with saxophonist Karl Denson and performed alongside Jon Cleary and Cyrille Aimée.
Pérez's musical identity lies at the intersection of Dominican roots — including tambora and traditional Caribbean rhythms — and the improvisational language of New Orleans jazz. He draws inspiration from recordings by Pat Metheny, the Yellowjackets, Immanuel Wilkins, and Paul Barbarin, weaving a classical-influenced technique through genres that span jazz, fusion, and Afro-Caribbean music. In recent years he has expanded beyond drumming into composing and singing, performing as lead vocalist at his first New Orleans concert. His solo output includes the 2024 collaborative album A Nomad of Sound and the single Lil Liza Jane (2026), with a debut solo album anticipated.
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Fun Facts
- Pérez spent up to nine months per year at sea for five years, playing daily shows with Carnival Cruise Lines' Latin band throughout the Caribbean — an unconventional path that gave him deep immersion in regional rhythms before arriving in New Orleans.
- His entire New Orleans music career was launched not by an audition or agent, but by an informal invitation to play tambora at a birthday party, where the right musician happened to hear him.
- After losing everything in the Dominican Republic and spending 2.5 years washing dishes and doing construction work, Pérez landed a seat in the Preservation Hall Jazz Band — one of New Orleans' most storied institutions — describing it as a dream he hadn't even dared to dream.
- In September 2025 he performed a free Tribute to Juan Luis Guerra concert at the New Orleans Jazz Museum as part of Hispanic Heritage Month programming, underscoring his role as a bridge between Dominican musical heritage and the New Orleans jazz community.
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Rafelito Mirabal - Pérez's primary mentor and 'musical father,' leader of Sistema Temperado in Santiago, Dominican Republic [Early career, Dominican Republic]
Key Collaborators
- Ben Jaffe - Creative director of Preservation Hall who offered Pérez the drummer seat in the Preservation Hall Jazz Band [2020s, New Orleans]
- Karl Denson - Saxophonist with whom Pérez recorded an unreleased album in New Orleans [2020s, New Orleans]
- Alexey Martí - Cuban musician who witnessed Pérez's tambora performance and connected him to New Orleans hotel events and the music scene [Post-2020, New Orleans]
- Jon Cleary - New Orleans pianist Pérez has performed alongside [2020s, New Orleans]
- Cyrille Aimée - French-Dominican jazz vocalist Pérez has performed with in New Orleans [2020s, New Orleans]
Connection Network
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
Jafet Perez has been played 5 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.