Daniel Diaz

Composer, arranger, producer, multi-instrumentalist (bass, guitar, keyboards). Born in Lanus , Argentina in 1963 , Daniel Diaz began playing bass in 1980. In 1983 he started to study theory, harmony, and bass and a year later he was working as a professional, backing several singers in small clubs around Buenos Aires. During the eighties he kept studying (harmony, counterpoint, ear training, etc.) attended to several courses and clinics such as: orchestration with Carlos Franzetti, Improvisation with Gary Burton, Production and Bass with Pedro Aznar, Tango History and Language with Horacio Salgan, and Argentine folkloric rhythms with “Cuchi” Leguizamon.

In 1993 he traveled the USA where he studied improvisation (with Bruce Gertz and Oscar Stagnaro at Berklee College of Music In Boston) and bass (with Mark Egan and Percy Jones in New York City and Alexis Skjlarevsky in LA.).

He played professionally in Argentina from 1983 until 1997 (playing other instruments among with bass) and toured and recorded with many local rock, fusion, folklore and tango bands.

He developed a career as session player, composer, arranger and producer both in Buenos Aires and Paris. His solo productions have been released in the USA, Canada and Europe.

Solo Career

From 1992 to 1997, in Buenos Aires, he played live with his electric quintet “Maquina Dura” (bass, keys, drums, sax, and percussion.) and his acoustic quartet “Maquina Blanda” (acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, tabla, and flute).

During this period, he produced his first album “The Years Alone “ which is a selection of 11 of his songs composed between 1986 and 1993. In that album Daniel Diaz played most of the parts (bass, keyboards, guitar, percussion, drums, etc.) but included guest appearances of many fine South American players, such as Ricky Olarte, Manuel Miranda, “Pato” Loza, Beto Satragni, Gustavo Paglia, Rikhi Hambra, and Miguel Angel Amaral.

He signed a contract with North American label Green Linnet/Xenophile, and “The Years Alone” was released in the USA and Canada in January 1996. The Years Alone's eleven songs combine traditional argentine rhythms like Zamba, Chacarera, Cueca, etc. with non-traditional structures and sounds inspired in rock, jazz, and classical styles. The more traditional/pastoral songs have a particular mood with the use of instruments from north Argentine, Peru and Bolivia, such as the Quena, Pinkullo and the Sikus, as well as Tango's traditional Bandoneon. He continued this recording/composing career with “Segundo Ciclo”(1997), “Maquina Dura” (2000) and “Lugar Comun” (2005)..

Present time:

Since 1997 he lives in Paris, France, where he's been performing with several argentine-Latin-jazz-tango groups, performing live (concerts in Paris and tours in Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Turkey, Portugal, Belgium, Portugal, Andorra, Switzerland, Morocco, and all around France), producing and recording. In 2001 his recording/production studio “The Pleasure Dome” merged with Paris based ANGEL STUDIO.

In July 2001 he signed a contract with Timeless Records for a worldwide release of “Segundo Ciclo” in April 2002. From January 2003 till February 2005 he's been playing with argentine tango group “Che Tango”

In march 2004 Daniel Diaz produced “Latinos Kretinos” with electronic versions of Latin music standards, with singers Ana Guanabara, Paula Estrella, and special guests. Live performances starting 12/MAR/04 (New Morning, Paris) and 19/MAR/04 (”Le Temple”, Paris) In march 2004 he started live performances with a new trio featuring Javier Estrella (Percussion) and Bobby Rangell (Flute, Sax). This same trio recorded “Lugar Comun” CD, released in 2005.

Between February and may 2005 he's been part of the musical show « Mambo Mistico ». This play, written and directed by Alfredo Arias with musicians and singers from Argentina, France, Brazil and Cuba performed almost every day in the prestigious Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris, at the Maison de la Culture in Nantes in the Théâtre du Gymnase in Marseille.

In 2006 he completed a new electronic/experimental album: “Electro World Jam”. This LP features electronic samples, world music beats&instruments, experimental sounds and structures, haunting moods and deep melodic & harmonic content. Performed by multi-cultural musicians around the globe exchanging files and “virtually jamming” against each other’s tracks. Files assembled, mutilated, arranged, metamorphosed and edited by “Dédé” in Paris.

That same year he joined French singer Marie Daguerre’s group playing bass and keyboards. He keeps performing live with his trio all around Europe. Recently he started working for french publisher Cezame/Koka Media for whom he co-produced a double CD (La Otra America CEZ4048/4049) with many of his own composition. In that album he performed piano, keyboards, percussion, guitars and basses. He continues his work for Koka/Cezame (2007 « Drone Music » CEZ4051/4052 and “American Road book” CEZ4053/4054).

In the present he's playing with his trio, with classical baritone Jorge Chaminé and contemporary French chanson singer/composer Elise Caron and with French rock singer Marie Daguerre.

His new CD “LOW Vol.1”, an audacious project performed using bass instruments exclusively, was released in july 2007.