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Artist
Angá Diaz
12+ albums
Alllatin jazzjazzexperimentalAfro-Cuban Jazz
about
Miguel 'Angá' Díaz (15 June 1961 - 9 August 2006), was a Cuban percussionist. With his explosive soloing and inventive five conga patterns, Angá was widely acclaimed as one of the world's greatest congueros. He was committed to the development of the conga drum, breaking down traditional percussion barriers to perform traditional latin rhythms, jazz, jungle, funk and hip-hop whilst retaining his distinctly Cuban roots. Miguel Aurelio Diiaz Zayas was born in San Juan y Martinez in the Pinar del Río Province in Cuba, an area known for its rumba traditions. Angá is a nickname he shared with his father. He began playing prodigiously early, performing and recording professionally whilst still at college. He made his name as a member of the pioneering Latin jazz Grammy award winning group Irakere and it was with them he perfected his five drum technique. Emerging in the mid-nineties as an independent musician, Angá was free to diversify and pursue a variety of different projects. He played with various Cuban artists including Afro-Cuban All Stars, Buena Vista Social Club, Omar Sosa, Omara Portuondo and Orisha. He likewise recorded and toured often with international musicians such as Steve Coleman, Baba Sissoko, Ry Cooder, Pascal Coulon, Malik Mezzadri, Buddy Montgomery and John Patitucci. In 1994 he recorded Pasaporte with Tata Güines, winning in 1995 the EGREM Album of the Year award (the Cuban Grammy). Two years later Angá joins the acclaimed American trumpeter Roy Hargrove wit
