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New
York based drummer, percussionist, composer, recording artist Scott
Kettner is building a unique position for himself in the world of Jazz
and Contemporary World Music. A graduate of The New School University
Jazz and Contemporary Music program, Kettner has studied intensively
in Brazil and in 2004 became a member of one of the oldest existing
traditional Maracatu groups from Recife, Brazil, Maracatu Nação
Estrela Brilhante (founded in 1906). In 2003 and 2005 Scott was awarded
an artist grant from The Brooklyn Arts Council for his project Maracatu
New York and The Nation Beat and was just elected a 2006 Latin Jazz
Ambassador by the U.S. State Department. Scott is also a faculty member
of The New School University's Jazz and Contemporary Music Program
where he conducts the Brazilian Maracatu Percussion class.
As a sideman, Kettner has worked and recorded with "Beat The
Donkey" led by world famous Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista,
the Grammy Award Winning Klezmer trumpeter Frank London and the Klezmer
Brass Allstars. He has also worked with the Latin jazz group "Annette
Aguilar's String Beans", African Drum and Dance group of NYC "Magbana",
Finnish folkloric group Kaiku, and Forro For All". Scott
composed and recorded for the latest Cascabulho CD, a world famous
Mangue Beat group from Recife, Brazil, which was nominated for a 2005
Latin Grammy Award. Also, in 2005 Scott was awarded an artist
grant by the Brazilian government to bring his group The Nation Beat
to Recife, Brazil to record a CD together with the traditional Maracatu
group Estrela Brilhante.
Scott's passion for world music, particularly Brazilian music, recently
led him to a very unique apprenticeship in Brazil. Upon graduating
from The New School University Jazz and Contemporary music program
Scott lived in Brazil and studied with percussion master Jorge Martins
da Silva. It was here that Jorge introduced Scott to the rhythms and
instruments from the northeastern region of Brazil, particularly Maracatu
de Baque Virado.
Upon concluding his apprenticeship in Brazil Scott founded and is
the acting artistic director of Nation Beat Music, a company dedicated
mostly to the performance, producing recordings and the knowledge of
Northeastern Brazilian rhythms and their relationship to North American
culture and music.
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