On Friday, March 25, Derek Gray debuted his adaptation of Batá rhythms to drumset - a new approach to the instrument, rooted in this ancient Afro-Cuban drum tradition. Having studied Batá over the course of the past 8 years with masters, Julio Davalos & Román Diaz, in four countries - Canada, Cuba, Switzerland & USA – Derek’s creative adaptations of this music to the drum kit are not only a modern approach to the Batá tradition, but also an exciting new way of playing the drumset.
In debuting this new project, dgtoqué, Derek is joined in the percussion section/Batá trio by Reimundo Sosa & Magdelys Sav, featuring improvisation/electronics alongside guitarist Patrick O’Reilly, saxophonist Edwin Sheard, and brother/bassist Justin Gray.