At the drop of a sombrero, Diáspora can provide your one-way ticket to the sounds of Central and South America and the Caribbean islands. This 5 to 11-piece Latin group combines traditional and contemporary salsa with jazz, funk, rock and pop influences, bringing you a fresh and extremely danceable Latin-American music experience.
“With an unrivalled passion, this young salsa orchestra will create a carnival atmosphere at any event!”
Uniting the sultry rhythms of the America and Africa, Diáspora celebrates that melting-pot of cultures with a unique and engaging ‘big band’ sound.
The infectious rhythm section of the band is driven along by three talented percussionists, ably supported by piano and bass and a top line that combining four horns and classy vocals.
Expect a playlist filled with traditional and contemporary salsa dance music, Latin pop fusion, Hollywood hits, Latin Jazz and Brazilian music.
For more intimate occasions, smaller musical combinations are available, from a funky five or six-piece all the way through to the full band. The band travels complete with a high-spec PA system and is able to offer an interesting range of optional extras, including guest vocalists, a DJ service and even a session of salsa dance tuition.
- Salsa orchestra generating a carnival vibe
- Varied repertoire, adaptable to suit any event
- Equipped with an excellent PA system, can also offer a DJ set
Audio
Repertoire
Traditional And Contemporary Salsa Dance Music
- Aguanile – Willie Colón / Marc Anthony
- Besame Mucho – Consuelo Velásquez
- Bilongo – Guillermo Rodríguez Fania All-Stars
- Como Fue – Buena Vista Social Club
- Déjame Soñar – Tito Puente / Tony Vega
- Dos Gardenias – Buena Vista Social Club
- El Cuarto De Tula – Buena Vista Social Club
- Fire Burns Below – Alex Wilson
- Gozando En La Habana – Charanga Habañera
- Gracias A La Vida – Joan Baez / Issac Delgado
- Guantanamera – Joseito Fernández
- Habana Del Este – Afro-Cuban All-Stars
- Hasta Siempre Comandante – Carlos Puebla
- La Vida Es Un Carnival – Celia Cruz
- Lágrimas Negras – Miguel Matamoros
- No Me Mires A Los Ojos – Issac Delgado
- Palabras Del Alma – Marc Anthony
- Pedro Navajas – Oscar D’Leon
- Silencio – Buena Vista Social Club
- Valió La Pena – Marc Anthony
Latin Pop Fusion And Hollywood Hits
- Ain’t It Funny – Jennifer Lopez
- Arranca – Manzanita
- Bingo Bango – Bolivar / Basement Jaxx
- Caraluna – Bacilos
- Copacabana – Barry Manilow
- Cuba – Gibson Brothers Klimax
- Do The Conga – Black Lace
- Do You Only Wanna Dance – Mia
- El Condor Pasa – Paul Simon
- Get Up, Stand Up – Bob Marley / Ojos Brujos
- Guaglione – Pérez Prado
- Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira / Wyclef Jean
- Hotel California – The Eagles
- I Like It (I Like It Like That) – Pete Rodríguez
- La Bamba – Ritchie Valens
- La Bomba – Ricky Martin
- Livin’ La Vida Loca – Ricky Martin
- Mambo No. 5 – Pérez Prado
- Midnight At The Oasis – Maria Muldaur / Brand New Heavies
- Moondance – Van Morrison
- Primavera – Santana
- Satellite – Santana
- Smooth – Santana
- Something In My Eye – Corduroy
- Sway – Pablo Beltrán Ruiz / Michael Bublé
- Whenever, Wherever – Shakira
Latin Jazz
- Boliviana – Irakere
- Cachao’s Guiro – Israel ‘Cachao’ Lopez
- Chucho – Jesús ‘Chucho’ Valdes
- Claudia – Jesús ‘Chucho’ Valdes
- La Cuna – Ray Barretto
- Linda Chicana – Tito Puente
- Mambo Inn – Mario Bauzá
- Manteca – Dizzy Gillespie
- Nature Boy – Eden Ahbez
- Nica’s Dream – Horace Silver
- Night In Tunisia – Dizzy Gillespie
- Ran Kan Kan / Oye Como Va – Tito Puente
- Reunión – Paquito D’Rivera And Arturo Sandoval
- Sabor – Cal Tjader
- Song For Bilbao – Michael Brecker
- St Thomas – Sonny Rollins
- Tanga – Dizzy Gillespie
- Tequila – The Champs
Brazilian Samba
- Brasil – Ary Barrosso
- Flor De Lis – Djavan
- Mais Que Nada – Jorge Ben
- Mama África – Chico César
- Não Enche – Caetano Veloso
- Samba De Janeiro – Bellini
- Shine – Lanu Feat. Christin Deralas
- The Girl From Ipanema – Carlos Jobim
- ….and plenty more….
Salsa De Cuba –
We’ve worked with and had the pleasure of enjoying the music of DIÁSPORA on many occasions – a band of experienced and talented musicians. Whether the 5-piece or big 11-piece group, they never fail to bring a great performance of varied and popular Latin and Salsa numbers to the show. From our point of view as dancers, we all enjoy the DIÁSPORA experience, having us all on our feet all night! They now have quite a following in the salsa scene – highly recommended.
KRO Catering & Events – Private Function –
The band really engaged with the audience, which created a great vibe. Mixing classic songs with current music gave the band a wide appeal and had everyone up dancing all night. Diaspora were great fun and we would definitely book them for future events.
Salsa Direct –
DIÁSPORA have a great energy showing through; the arrangements are clever and innovative, and there are some good musicians.
Manchester Jazz Festival –
DIÁSPORA left audiences cheering and pleading for more after their high-energy performance at Manchester Jazz Festival 2010. Their dedication to the Afro-Cuban and Brazilian repertoire, which they deliver in such a vibrant and authentic way, was a treat for both the aficionado and the dancer out for a good time. With their punchy horns, colourful percussion and engaging vocalists, here is a young band set to ignite and inspire listeners and dancers wherever they appear.
Band on the Wall –
A bunch of young, hip and cool aficionados producing the slickest and most polished sounds in the city. Fronted by mesmerising vocalists, backed by a burning hot percussion unit and equipped with a tight pop horns train, DIÁSPORA provides the perfect recipe for a fun-filled fiesta night out. A zesty infusion of salsa and jazz influences, fat funky grooves and just about everything else south of the border, DIÁSPORA is the ultimate tribute to Latin music in the UK. Absolutely stunning.
Matt & Phred’s Jazz Club –
DIÁSPORA are a hugely talented and energetic band who blew the roof off Matt and Phred’s on their first ever gig at the club. The band of 11 musicians has a great natural fusion and the ease in which they commanded the stage was a joy to behold. This is a band we will definitely be booking again and again.
Christie’s Coffee House – Evening Entertainment –
Diáspora were great! Fantastic entertainment from a great group of musicians. All the guests really enjoyed them!
Lubi Jovanovic –
On first listening, very nice. Shows the scope of the band’s repertoire. Well recorded, production is good (brass and vocals are really clean and percussion is well balanced), playing is good – you are all obviously excellent musicians technically… Excellent Spanish pronunciation… This band can PLAY. They’ve got the feel!
Your Event Musicians –
Our audience really enjoyed DIÁSPORA’s performance at La Soirée Concert Series. Thank you for entertaining us.
Cultural Collage World Music Festival –
DIÁSPORA gave a performance that was both great fun and well-received by our audience – who simply didn’t want to stop dancing. Moreover, the band too seemed to be having such a good time, so much so that they didn’t want to stop dancing either! Well done, thanks for keeping us informed at all times during the booking process, and I am sure that, on the strength of such a successful gig, I will have little problem booking you for others!
Grevel Lindop –
It was a superb salsa workout last night as local Latin bands DIÁSPORA and Mojito put on dazzling performances as part of the Manchester Jazz Festival. DIÁSPORA (whom I hadn’t heard before) took us through a whole range of music including son and samba as well as salsa. They’re a big orchestra – 11-piece as far as I could count from where I was – with emphasis on brass, piano and vocals. The style is Latin jazz, not unlike the Alex Wilson sound if you’re familiar with that: some of it just forced you to get up and move, and all of it was highly listenable. I hope to hear a lot more of DIÁSPORA.
Royal Northern College of Music –
Tight, professional, and above all, FUN, DIÁSPORA blew us all away. Faithful enough to the traditions of Latin music to satisfy even the most diehard purist, but with enough energy and diversity for an amazing party band. I would recommend these guys to anyone.
Irfan Rainy –
What a lovely surprise! The music is authentic, and the guys really understand clave. I’ve been collecting Latin music (from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia) for a long time now and am very rarely surprised…
Manchester Salon –
To say I was ‘blown away’ by the evening’s experience is a little bit of an understatement! DIÁSPORA took to the stage and the evening really ‘kicked-off’. DIÁSPORA are an 11-piece band, billed as being ‘one of the most exciting new projects in the contemporary UK Latin scene’ and they did not disappoint. The acoustics were great and I was particularly impressed with Rory Duffy’s haunting saxophone riffs, coupled with the vibrancy and clarity of the lead female vocalist. The sexy, up-tempo, Latin American beat soon had the audience tapping in tune, with an adventurous couple taking to the dance floor to show off their salsa style steps. This seemed to pave the way for the other experienced salsa dancers get in on the action. As a salsa virgin I was in total awe of the way they moved as one entity, synchronising their moves in perfect time with the music – as soon as the first beats of the next song were played they automatically knew what moves to make. I must admit listening to the fast paced music I just wanted to get up there and join in, but felt inadequate watching the footwork skills on show. Wow, I want to learn how to do that, I have to take salsa lessons and strut my stuff; maybe it is the new ‘Line-dancing’ fad but it looks so much fun and I want IN. The whole evening was one of the most entertaining and fun that I have had in a long time. The music, atmosphere and venue blended so well but unfortunately it was over too quickly.
WPA Health Insurance Conference –
In February 2011 we had the pleasure of DIÁSPORA to entertain us at our annual conference. The band were kind enough to liaise with us well in advance to discuss our requirements and I am really happy that this was taken into account for our evening. As our guests had an age range from 23 to 73, I feel you provided a great party atmosphere for all, and the surrounding logistics was made easy by your professional approach. I would have no hesitation in recommending DIÁSPORA to any corporate function should they desire an entertaining upbeat Latin style party.
Manchester Food & Drink Festival –
DIÁSPORA small band brought a fun fiesta feeling to the Festival Hub’s main-stage at the 2010 Manchester Food & Drink Festival. With their colourful interpretations of Latino classics mixed with their energetic, quirky spontaneity and delightful stage presence, DIÁSPORA brought the sunshine out of all who came to attend. The performers really seemed to be enjoying themselves, which naturally fed into the enjoyment of the assembled crowds. This is a band definitely worth keeping an eye on!