Luis Dias

Today is Luis Dias' birthday.  He would have turned 59 this year.
He had a very strong influence on me (Robert) as a guitarrist, composer, and overall musician.
I had the honor of taking lessons with him onstage, and also got to share some laughs, some beers, and many moments of music enlightenment.
"Music Enlightenment" seems like a very abstract phrase; and it is. In fact, I don't think I could describe it; but those that got to be around him with an instrument in their hands understand what I mean.

He is a major influence for El Pueblo. It's not a direct or obvious one, but its there. It's not an influence in the way we play our music or rhythms that we choose to play, but more about the way that our music is written, presented, and performed. An overall idea of your place in society as a musician. Again, abstract.

I always say, and perhaps others have as well, "Luis Dias was the only guitarist in the world that could play Blues, and make the guitar sound Dominican."  And I dont mean that he put a lil' Bachata riff over it, I mean make it sound Dominican even though he was still playing the Blues.


Here's a clip from Transporte Urbano the best Dominican Rock band EVER and one of the most important bands in the American continent that most have never heard.


Happy birthday Lui !

(by the way picture on top its him playing my blue strat. He use to love that guitar ! I always think of him when I play it)