Dimitris Sevdalis Latin-Jazz Sextet

DIMITRIS SEVDALIS BIOGRAPHY

Dimitris Sevdalis is a piano player and arranger born in Athens, Greece in 1976.

He started playing music at the age of seven, studied classical piano and then Jazz piano at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory in Athens. In 1996 he received a scholarship from the Berklee College Of Music, which he graduated from in 1999, with a Diploma in Professional Music and honoured with a Magna Cum Laude.

While studying in Berklee, Dimitris got involved with Latin Jazz, which remains his main style today. His influences include Chucho Valdez, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Keith Jarrett.

During his stay in the U.S, he performed at the Harvard Club with Berklee's Tito Puente Ensemble and he also played in many clubs in Boston such as the Regatta Bar, Wally's Cafe, Sofia's, Caprice and the Good Life.

Upon his return to Greece in 2000, he joined the successful Latin Jazz band Grupo Candela and embarked on a tour which covered most of Greece, sponsored by Bacardi and Havana Club rum.

After the aforementioned tour, Dimitris joined the world famous Greek singer Haris Alexiou for a year, both on stage in acclaimed venue in Athens (4 months) and on a country-wide tour (4 months). He also recorded with Haris Alexiou on her double cd "Kerameikos Live".At the same time Dimitris performed all over Greece with two Latin bands, Manocuba and Cubana Bop.

In 2005, he released his personal Latin Jazz CD entitled " HABANA VIEJA" which is a collaboration between Greek and Cuban musicians. With the Latin Jazz group Dimitris recorded his CD, participated in many festivals and played as a support group for Issac Delgado's concert in Greece. He was also the piano player of the Guru Big Band which he participated with at the European Jazz Festival of 2005.

In 2006 he collaborated with accordionist Zoe Tiganouria in Greece and all over Europe and played with her as a support Group for James Brown concert in Athens.

Currently Dimitris is preparing his new CD, he is the piano player of the "Palenque Latin All - Stars Orchestra", and played with special guests from New York such us, two times grammy award nominee, violinist Alfredo De La Fe, grammy award nominee, trombonist Jimmy Bosch, lead singer of Tito Puente, Orlando Watussi, timbalero Chino Nunez, etc. He is also gigging with George Fakanas Quintet, playing with artists from all over the world such as Alex Acuna, Dave Weckl, etc.