diano garcia

Artist Information

Biography

Bravely fusing a variety of musical styles -- world music, acid jazz, rap -- within a pop framework, Seattle, WA-based Diano Garcia represents the new face of rock & roll wherein geographic boundaries and genre conventions are tossed to the wind.

Garcia's new album, Turn It On, has received rave reviews from music critics for its infectious, wildly eclectic view of pop music, from the African backbeats of "Vows" to the driving hip-hop of "Soap Box." Writer Kyrby Raine described Garcia as, "Imagine if James Brown had appeared now and instead of the ’60s," in Shotgun Reviews. U.K. critic Adam Harrington of Whisperin & Hollerin praised Garcia for his ability to "stitch together the overlapping genres with funky pop hooks...This is the Top-40 music of the future, when different cultural backgrounds melt into a multi-layered single unit." Another British writer, Review Centre's Barry Andrews, raved that "Garcia is peering into an exciting possible future when music can no longer be categorized."

A veteran of Seattle's diverse independent scene, Garcia studied African and Latin percussion for several years before writing for and touring internationally with his first project, Riveroots. Shortly thereafter, he collaborated with guitarist Marcos DeFluri and vocalist Paula Geroux in the dance combo, Phat Bagg. That led to Garcia and DeFluri teaming up for Ancestor Radio and performing over 300 shows of scorching funk, rock, hip-hop, and jazz.

Turn It On presents Garcia as a solo artist, letting loose his background in global pop music and his passion for the ultimate groove.

Instrumentation

Discography

Official Website

http://www.dianogarcia.com

Links

• Official Diano Garcia Web-Site
• MySpace.com/dianogarcia
• OurStage.com EPK

Audio

• Music music
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• Vows
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• Culture
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• Turn it on
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• Soap box
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• Music Music
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• Soap Box
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• Turn it On
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• Soap Box
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• Vows
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• See What You Hear
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• Soap Box
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Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• DIANO GARCIA BUSTS ALL RULES, SLAMS TOGETHER HIP-HOP WITH WORLD AND JAZZ [+ Show ]
  

  Reviewed by Howie Mitchell Diano Garcia/Turn It On Do you want to hear the future of hip-hop? ...Reviewed by Howie Mitchell
  
  Diano Garcia/Turn It On
  
  Do you want to hear the future of hip-hop? While thousands of rappers, on major labels or out of them, are recycling the same shuffling rhythms and pulsating keyboards, Diano Garcia takes the essence of hip-hop, the funky urban vibe, and slams it together with pop, world music, jazz, and whatever the hell this gentleman can find. Sure, label it as Afro-Beat if you will, but that doesn’t begin to describe the dizzyingly eclectic and wildly original vision that is showcased proudly here.
  
  The exhilarating "Music Music" is awash with punchy horns and a breathless, marathon-running rhythm; you’ll be sweating heavily by the time it’s over. "Vows" rocks even harder as Garcia’s charmingly raspy voice glides across African beats, more horns, and magnetic synthesizers. The tracks which most openly aim for hip-hop - "Culture," "Soap Box," and "Something Say" - are unlike anything you’ll hear on the radio as Garcia never follows the rules and simply lets his imagination go bonkers. Lucky for us.

• GARCIA, DIANO ’Turn It On’ [+ Show ]
  

  Reviewed by Adam Harrington Diano Garcia (www.DianoGarcia.com) is a little bit acid jazz. A littl...Reviewed by Adam Harrington
  
  Diano Garcia (www.DianoGarcia.com) is a little bit acid jazz. A little bit world music. A little bit hip-hop. OK, what the hell is he then? The unpredictability and fairly wide pop range of "Turn It On" is a large part of its appeal. Garcia is an artist that, given the right push, could morph into the next Prince, or at least a 21st century iPod version of him.
  
  It may seem like hyperbole, but it’s not. Garcia is certainly eclectic enough to fit into the same room as the Purple One. However, it isn’t just about the variety of styles; Garcia has the talent to stitch together the overlapping genres with funky pop hooks. On the first two cuts, "Music Music" and "Vows," Garcia adopts world-music rhythms and tosses them into a hip-hop context. The result is both exciting and exotic, with Garcia’s raspy vocals really creating a rock-solid impression on "Vows." Chris Littlefield’s trumpet on "Music Music" adds some enticing jazz spice while Geoff Stanfield’s pulsating keyboards drive "Vows" to the dance floor. This is the Top-40 music of the future, when different cultural backgrounds melt into a multi-layered single unit.
  
  Garcia is very good at hip-hop as well. "Culture" (the most Prince-ish track here) and "Soap Box" have an infectious, feel-great vibe that slices through the cookie-cutter rap crap on the radio these days. Garcia is pushing the genre forward while not forgetting that the real purpose of music is to make us shake our asses off.
  
  On "Turn It On" and "Something Stay," Garcia takes a dip into acid jazz, and they’re spectacular. If you’re searching for pop music that looks to the future yet is down to Earth, look no further than this. Smashing!

• Diano Garcia - "Turn It On" [+ Show ]
  

  Reviewed by Kyrby Raine With its big, shuffling beats; jazzy, sultry horns and trumpets; snapping...Reviewed by Kyrby Raine
  
  With its big, shuffling beats; jazzy, sultry horns and trumpets; snapping hip-hop rhythms; toe-tapping synthesizers; and even some cool, laid-back rapping, Turn It On is a full-tilt party album. You have to wonder how much fun Diano Garcia and his band mates were having when recording this CD; you can practically feel the sweat flying off this record. Imagine if James Brown had appeared now and instead of the ’60s. Granted, Garcia doesn’t have Brown’s supercharged charisma (and that’s not what he’s striving for, anyway), but the energy is crackling in this joint.
  
  You can call some of this "world beat" if you must, but Garcia honestly defies categorization. The easygoing summer vibes of "There You Go," with Garcia and his crew laying down a sultry jazz groove, is nothing like the global pop explosion of "Music Music" or the hand-clapping hip-hop of "Soap Box." No two tracks sound alike, you dig? Well, something tells me that the late Brown would’ve given a huge thumbs up to these soulful and tremendously open-minded pop tunes. Its heart may be old school, but its mind is utterly contemporary. Just Turn It On and let your imagination go nuts.

• Seattle-based Diano Garcia gives an Afro-Beat makeover to Emerald City funk, hip hop [+ Show ]
  

  When it comes to Seattle hip-hop, there is Sir Mix-A-Lot and honestly nothing else if you’re talking...When it comes to Seattle hip-hop, there is Sir Mix-A-Lot and honestly nothing else if you’re talking about national recognition. For a city that dominated mainstream music in the ’90s with its grunge icons, Seattle hasn’t broken its rappers in the same way it did with its alternative-rock acts. Ironically, Sir Mix-A-Lot was on the verge of a commercial breakthrough years before Nirvana, and you’d think a hip-hop revolution would’ve followed. Maybe it’s because the Seattle rap scene hasn’t found its voice yet, still trying to find its own identity from the overpowering shadows of East and West Coast hip-hop. Local talent Diano Garcia has the potential of turning that around. Built from parts of funk, rap, soul, psychedelic rock, and world music, Garcia has an adventurous style that could only emanate from the creative open-mindedness of Seattle.
  
  Howie Mitchell: The Afro-Beat genre hasn’t been absorbed by mainstream hip-hop, which seems to me suffering from creative stagnation. Why do you think that is?
  
  Diano Garcia: I’m not really sure. They both spring from the same ancestral well. Of course in West African music you hear more and more hip-hop influences being absorbed into Afro-Beat music. I think Afro Beat needs more time to find its way into mainstream American music; maybe then we’ll hear it seeping into hip hop.
  
  Mitchell: Your music offers a variety of flavors, from psychedelia to world to funk. How did you become so eclectic in your tastes and creative expression?
  
  Garcia: When I was a kid I listened to a lot of late ’60s early ’70s rock. At the same time I was really into War, the Ohio Players, Marvin Gaye, Steve Wonder. Eventually I got into Herbie Hancock. Miles’ progression
  through the ’70s still inspires me. I’d always been a vocalist, then in the mid-’90s I started studying traditional West African percussion. That opened the door to the amazing world of African music which obviously influences everything I do.
  
  Mitchell: What artists moved you the most while growing up and in what ways did they affect you?
  
  Garcia: I mentioned the artists and music I listened to growing up. Even though the styles were different, they all seemed to have to have a similar psychedelic effect on me. I grew up in a conservative suburban
  family. There wasn’t a frame work for me to relate that kind of experience to, but that’s how the music affected me. 10-years-old on the living room floor with the head phones on tripping balls. Definitely got me hooked.
  
  Mitchell: You’re based in Seattle, which is best known for grunge. How does your music fit into the musical menu of the Emerald City?
  
  Garcia: Seattle has a lot of world music fans. There’s also a vital hip-hop scene. It’s obviously a rock town. Hopefully, what I do will relate to a cross section Seattle music fans.
  
  Mitchell: What can people expect from seeing Diano Garcia in live performance? Do you have a band? What is the set-up like?
  
  Garcia: People can expect a high energy, deeply grooving show with beautiful harmonies and rhythms that move you you from the inside out. I’m really excited about the band I’ve put together. They do an amazing job of interpreting the music into a live format. You can expect to hear all the music from Turn It On plus songs from an album I’m just now in the process of finishing. We like to stretch things out in the live performance. Play the songs as written while using the grooves as templates to improv off of.

Setlist

Basic Requirements

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