About
Merengue Dance Party with Joaquin Diaz
“In Diaz's hands merengue is hard-core stuff, an exhilarating polyrhythmic ride on a runaway train.” - World music festival of ChicagoHere is the most exciting traditional merengue music you will ever hear! Joaquin Diaz’s enthusiasm on stage is totally irresistible. His light-fingered accordion playing and infectious vocals drenched in Latin soul make this Caribbean maestro the best of the new generation of traditional folk merengue artists. Diaz's repertoire is a mixture of traditional and original tunes that is characterized by its exhilarating syncopated rhythms. His new fans are introduced to a different aspect of the diatonic accordion showcasing his electrifying vocals. Diaz is one of the best of a new breed of traditional merengue artist.
The “merengue” (the quintessential sound of the Dominican Republic) is “the fastest, most exciting music there is,” insists accordionist Joaquin Diaz. “It’s a bit like dancing on a roller coaster.” Diaz is a self-taught musician who began his musical career as a child on the streets of Santo Domingo. He formed has first band at the age of 12 and was soon playing the most prestigious hotels of the city and catching the attention of elite audiences. In Canada since 1990, now living in Montreal, Diaz has formed a band of extraordinary musicians (Peter Alexander Barzey tambora/drum/vocals, Jairo Gomez bass, Miguel Fenton Martinez congas/vocals, and Jean Emmanuel Espinal Roque guira). It is Diaz’s mission to make the stages of the world vibrate with the raw energy of the meregue with his master showmanship audience communication. And, indeed, the group’s premier CD, Merengue Mas Merengue, seems to have hit the public like a tropical storm. The second, Ola (meaning wave in Spanish) has struck listeners with equal force.
'Crowds who hear him literally spring to their feet, dancing and clamoring for more of this exiting music from Dominican Republic' - Arhoolie Records
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Past Events
11
Feb
2011
21:00
Victoria Event Centre
