KING KLAVÉ
Amaury Acosta
Amaury Acosta, aka King Klave, is a Cuban-American Drummer, Composer, Producer, Educator, Curator, and Entrepreneur hailing from the cool, vibrant city of New York. As a creative individual, he takes immense pride in crafting wild and innovative art concepts. Many have labeled him as a true pioneer in this ever-evolving field called the music industry.
He is known for his unique musical fusion of various genres, including Jazz, Hip-hop, Funk, Soul, Afro-Cuban, and Electronic influences. This unique blend has allowed him to create unconventional and otherworldly pieces of art that captivate audiences and push the boundaries of traditional music.
He attended LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts and graduated from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School in 2006. In 2008, he transferred to The New School For Jazz & Contemporary Music in New York City, it was during his time at The New School that he developed a deep understanding of the intricacies of music theory and honed his ability to create mesmerizing compositions. This is where he founded (U)nity, a collective of 5 young international musicians that fuse Afro-Cuban grooves with modern sounds. The group has been well-received in the artistic community and has done 5 international tours, performing in various cities worldwide.
Amaury has worked alongside many music icons including Iggy Pop, Robert Glasper, Pino Palladino, Q-Tip, Bilal, Descemer Bueno, Gigi Hadid, Kimbra, Candido Camero, Jose James, Paquito D’Rivera, and numerous others. Beyond his active involvement in the dynamic music scene of New York City, Amaury is recognized for his bold musical perspective and adept composition and production abilities. He spends his time creating new music, refining his craft, And constantly lost in the childlike wonder of his discovery
He released his debut album “KingKlavé” in September 2022. The project features collaborations with over 20 musicians and combines Jazz, Hip-hop, R&B, Funk, and Afro-Cuban music. Recorded in New York City, it represents 10 years of creation and includes a multi-medium art project incorporating music, film, and painting. NPR named it the 2022 Staff Picks Album of the Year.
In short, Amaury is a multi-faceted creative force who thrives on pushing the boundaries of music and artistic expression. He is known for his audacious views on music. He enjoys working on new music, honing his skills, and always maintaining a childlike wonder and open mind to discover new and cool sounds and more importantly cool people!
Upcoming Projects
In addition to his musical pursuits, he embodies an entrepreneurial ethos, recognizing and promoting equity as the future commodity for all artists. In 2020, he established Klaves Paradise, a new media agency focusing on experiential marketing, event curation, and record catalog and sync licensing. He just produced and creatively directed a series of commercials for the fashion brand Vibe Tennis, He is currently working on his 2nd album, an EP entitled Ghetto Percussion fusing Afro Cuban Music, Jazz, And Electronic music. In June 2024 he is releasing a new single entitled Cuando el niño nació…, releasing a music video for it.
In August, A cinematic drum solo piece shot from a balcony in Hell’s Kitchen 42 Flights in the Sky, and currently is working on a new revamped live show with immersive visuals and sound, it will be a multi-media art project that will also include the release of a short film about Amaury in the fall of 2024.
There’s gonna be a whole lot of music coming. I’m getting ready to release music every two months for the next 2 years (feel free to check it out 🙂
King Klave’s Latest Album
22 Musicians, 5 Vocalists, 1 Dj, 5 Songwriters, 3 Executive Producers, 5 Recording Engineers, 1 Mastering Engineer, 5 Recording Studios,10 Years of Creation.
New York, NY | (August 24th, 2022) Amaury “King Klavé” Acosta’s debut solo album releasing September 2nd, 2022 features virtuoso collaborations with Pino Palladino, Pedrito Martinez, DJ Harrison, Marcus Machado; as well as the vocal stylings of Jake Sherman and J. Hoard
Born in New York into Cuban parents, King Klavé is an electronic music composer, drummer, producer, & multi media artist who takes pride in conceiving and exploring extraordinary concepts of art. The Album is a 17-song genre bending synthesis of Jazz, Hip Hop, R&B, Funk, fused with Afro Cuban Music that was recorded in New York City with the participation of over 20 musicians.
The album finishes with a strong melodic and victorious piece entitled “Rezo” (prayer), featuring Pedrito Martinez that brings a moment of reflection, and channels deep spirituality, Connecting dots to Africa, Cuba, and New York which is the pinnacle of the inspiration behind the album. Pedrito Martinez characterizes the project: “This record connects the past with the present in a fresh new way. Amaury is always pushing to find new sonic territories, he’s definitely found it with this one. It’s a masterpiece!.”
A Special hand crafted 12″ white colored vinyl with a full color jacket and inner sleeve made in Italy.