SJH

The Band

San Juan Hill is Music for Struggle, Love and Life. A collection of diverse sounds and rhythms, San Juan Hill’s music blends the diverse talents of its members to create the bands eclectic sound and vibe.
San Juan Hill plays innovative and original music with intense crowd moving performances, poured carefully into a pot of ingredients which include: Funk, Soul, Latino, Caribbean, Jazz, Brazilian, Hip Hop and House music. All served with a side dish of Soultry vocals sung in Spanish, English, and Portuguese; thus making music that’s good to the Ears, but even better for your Soul!!

San Juan Hill is an adopted name, which actually represents 2 places in history that directly influenced each other. The First is a hill near Santiago, (a city in Cuba), a pinnacle point where a determining battle was fought and won by the United States, in the Spanish American war of 1898. Although they weren’t given the credit they deserved at the time, the African American soldiers, known as Buffalo Soldiers, did the heaviest fighting in this battle.
The Second is one of the first N.Y.C., African American neighborhoods located on the upper west side of Manhattan, where Lincoln Center and La Guardia high school of music & art presently stand. This area was named “San Juan Hill” in commemoration of the Heroic efforts of African Americans (a.k.a. Buffalo Soldiers), in the Spanish American War that came to reside in the area. Due to this migration the neighborhood has produced great musicians, such as; Thelonious Monk, Benny Carter, just to name a few.
This knowledge, along with the many inspired styles of music of the African Diaspora, paved the way for Frank Diggz, the founder and musical director of the group, to create San Juan Hill and develop the bands unique sound.
San Juan Hill pays homage and gives name to the lives and struggles of people of color, through spiritual and uplifting messages, that bring audiences an alternative option to the sometimes negative vibe of today’s pop music.

The Bios
Frank – was born and raised in Spanish Harlem, NYC. As a child he and his family attended a Latino Evangelical church, where at home his father translated African American gospels from English to Spanish and sang at church. Observing his father, it was then where he first discovered his talents for music, art and dance. Having grown up in the 1980s exposed Frank, to the great music of the time, such as Hip Hop, Disco, Soul, Salsa, Merengue, and House, which could be heard in the streets, schoolyards, and at block party’s! Unknowingly, it would pave the way for Frank’s inspiration to create and blend musical genres that led to the sound of San Juan Hill - Afro Latin Soul.
With a primary focus and much clearer understanding of his Mexican and Puerto Rican culture and heritage, Frank would later use his talent not only to create Groove beats and Funky Music, but to also pay homage, by giving name to the lives and struggles of people of color, with both morally and spirtually, uplifting messages.

Steven – Born by the Bush(wick), baptized to the Heights of Jackson this guitarist native to the Metropolis fuses culture, spirit and language. He has produced salsa con sabotage with the underground Puerto-punk party Ricanstruction. With residency at the famous CBGBs they shared the stage with legendary Living Colour.
Maldonado has also composed and sound designed for international award-winning film Machetero where the difference between violence and revolutionary violence is asked. Steven has given his hand to theater in “La Mano- Tales of the End of the World” an abstract Jodorosky-ish play depicting the playwright Avarind tribulations.
Presently the sonic alchemist is finishing a record involving nuyorican poets Algarin, Perdomo and Papoleto introducing a chemical marriage of word and song.

Monica – has been a singer and songwriter for MasQueMas, a Latin Alternative venture, featuring Latin Grammy nominated instrumentalists Alex Bendana and Gloria Estrada from La Santa Cecilia. She has also been a featured vocalist for Kemo (Delinquent Habits) who is one of the premiere Latin MCs blending latin Music and Hip-Hop. A Brooklyn native with roots in the Dominican Republic and a spirit of the African diaspora Ms. Ortiz continues to create Afro-Latin inspired music and memories in NYC with San Juan Hill.

Adam – “El gringo conguero” has fallen deeply in love with the drumming traditions of the African diaspora. Adam has studied percussion from many master drummers who have all influenced him and helped him create his own interpretations of deep traditions. Most recently, Adam spent two-weeks in Haiti, learning the music of Lakou Souvenance from the community’s master drummers, as well as attending a week long Vodou ceremony in honor of the spirits that followed their believers from Dahomey to Gonaives.
When Adam isn’t studying music, he’s playing it! As a percussionist, Adam has played for countless d