Valerie Dee Naranjo (percussionist, vocalist, composer, clinician) is known for her pioneering efforts in West African keyboard percussion music. In 1988 her playing of the gyil’s traditional repertoire in Ghana’s Kobine Festival of Traditional Music led to the declaration of a chiefly decree in the Dagara nation, that women be allowed to play the instrument for the first time. She currently lives in New York and plays percussion for NBC’s Saturday Night Live band, and has recorded and performed with Broadway’s The Lion King, The Philip Glass Ensemble, David Byrne, The Paul Winter Consort, Tori Amos, Airto Moreira, and the international percussion ensemble, Megadrums. Recent film score work includes Final Fantasy – The Dream Within and Frida. She was named “World Music Percussionist of the Year” in 2005 and 2008. She was also named “Mallet player of the Year” in 2011.
