Vernon Chatlein (Curacao, 1984) is a percussionist with a background in Afro-Cuban, Latin Music and Jazz. He studied at the Conservatorio Amadeo Rolda, for Latin and traditional and folkloric music in Cuba and at the Conservatory of Amsterdam where he focused on jazz, pop and improvised music. In 2011 he was awarded the “Stichting Jazz Talent Award” in the Netherlands which was the start of his jazz group Vernon Chatlein’s Elements. Next to his own work he works with various international musicians and performs internationally from small stages to big festivals in Europe, Asia and the America’s. Now that the presentation of Papia is finished, Chatlein will stay in Curacao for a few months to research the various traditional musics and instruments in Curacao and translate this into his contemporary music practice .This project is in part made possible by Fonds Cultuur Participatie.