Daniel Diaz & Lia Davis
Bandoneon & Piano:
Exploring the Argentine tango

Daniel Diaz has been playing Argentine tangos for over 60 years. At the ripe age of 6 years old, under the guidance of the great master Arcangel Juan Stefano, Diaz started lessons on the bandoneon. He was performing by age 7, formed his own orchestra when he was only 12 years old, and began studies with the great Ciriaco Ortiz at 16 years. Raised in the rich traditions of Argentine tango, he immigrated to the United States in 1970 and currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dedicated to sharing the music and dance of the tango with others, Diaz tours frequently throughout the US. He not only teaches the bandoneon, but also forms local tango ensembles, offering instruction on musical arrangement and performance of the Tango. In San Antonio, Daniel will be joined by Lia Davis, a classically-trained pianist who also studied traditional tango accompaniment with Diaz. The interplay between these two masters will surely be a highlight of the 2009 International Accordion Festival!

Although tango has grown to epitomize the glamour and elegance of modern Argentine culture, it actually originated among common people living in the tenements of the growing city of Buenos Aires. The bandoneon, a complex variant of the German konzertina used in polka music, is an essential part of tango. The instrument's vicious complexity can be used to play smooth and lilting melodies as well as choppy, driving dance tunes. With over 70 buttons, each of which produce a different note on the push or the pull of the bellows, the bandoneon is an instrument that takes a lifetime to master. Daniel Diaz has devoted his life to this once-humble relative of the accordion, while never losing sight of its vital importance to Argentine dance traditions.