Luis Días (composer)
Encyclopedia
Luis Díaz Portorreal best known as Luis Días was a musician, composer and performer of popular music born in the Dominican Republic.
He was immersed in the popular music and customs of Dominican folklore. In the artistic realms he is known as "El Terror" ("The Terror"), due to his particular performance style and his overtones.
He was the author of lyrics and music that fused many diverse musical styles. In some circles, Luis was considered to be the Father of Dominican Rock, due to his contributions to alternative music and his experimentation with Dominican rhythms blended with Rock guitar patterns. In his fusions, Luis accomplished fusions of rock
, reggae
, jazz
and blues
with more than 40 ethnic rhythms from the Dominican Republic
and Haiti
, such as Merengue
, Bachata, and Mangulina, among many others.
ist and singer named Luis Díaz Portorreal was born in Bonao, Dominican Republic
, on June 21, 1952. Since childhood, he felt a direct impulse to become a musician, given that his father was a Tres
player, (an instrument similar to the guitar used in rural Dominican towns), and his mother was a singer of Salves. Lively melodies and rhythms, along with the artistic environment that contained them, were natural surroundings in his life.
He covered his first musical lessons in his own hometown, with the musicians Juan Zorrilla and Tatán Jiménez, and at his 16 years of age he formed his first music band, "Los Chonnys".
In 1970 he changed his residence to Santo Domingo
with a main objective of studying Psychology at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo
(UASD).
He died in Santo Domingo on December 8, 2009, after suffering a heart attack and other complications therein. His funeral procession was one of the longest in recent Dominican history, parading through the barrios of Santo Domingo.
Convite was a true musical novelty during that time. They had notable participations at "El Festival Internacional de la Nueva Canción "Siete Días con el Pueblo"" (International Festival of the New Song "Seven Days with the People") in Santo Domingo
, 1974, in which Dias' composition "Obrero Acepta Mi Mano" (Laborer, Accept My Hand) was named as the official theme song, and was afterwards recorded by different protest song bands such as "Expresión Joven" (Dominican Republic) and "Los Guaraguao" (Venezuela).
After "Convite" broke up (1978), Días formed another band named "Madora" together with Gustavo Moré, Wellinton Valenzuela, Carlos Fernández, and Luis Ruiz. In this new experiment they sought a fusion between jazz
and Antillean folklore. In "Madora," Luis culminated a full decade worth of reelaborating and restoring root songs of Dominican tradition. That year he also participated in the XI World Festival of Youth and Students
in La Habana, 1978.
Between 1980 and 1982, Luis Días traveled to New York City
, where he focused on teaching workshops about traditional Dominican music at the American Museum of Natural History
. During this time he was deeply influenced by jazz
and punk culture.
in 1982 represents for many observers the authentic birth of Dominican Rock
. He formed the band Transporte Urbano
(Urban Transportation) together with Juan Francisco Ordóñez
(guitar), Guy Frómeta (drums), Héctor Santana (bass guitar), José Duluc (percussion) and Bruno Ranson (saxophone). A few years later, Hector Santana was replaced with Peter Nova on the bass guitar.
In Transporte Urbano they would pour a wide variety of their musical influences, from Bachata to heavy metal
.
recorded the song with the label Kubaney. To date, the aforementioned version has achieved the highest levels of popularity and recognition.
In 1984 his L.P. Luis "Terror" Días came on the market, which mainly contained songs in Merengue
rhythm, such as "Ay Ombe", "Liborio" and "La porquería", among others.
In 1985 he participated in the XII World Festival of Youth and Students
(Moscow
).
Together with Juan Luis Guerra
he was commissioned to compose the main theme for Carlos Cristalini's short film "Las Pausas del Silencio" (The Pauses of Silence). They received an award for Best Soundtrack for a Short Film at the Boston International Film Festival
in 1986.
In 1986 he published a book titled Tránsito Entre Guácaras (Transportation in Between Caves), a work of poetry taking Taíno
myths as a source of inspiration. He was also contracted by UNICEF to compose the song "Los Niños Sin Padres" ("Children Without Parents"), which was performed alongside singers Sergio Vargas and Sonia Silvestre.
More than three hundred of his songs have been recorded by various artists and bands. Some notable examples are: Sergio Vargas
("Marola", "Las Vampiras", "La Novia"), Kaki Vargas ("Los Mosquitos Puyan"), Wilfrido Vargas
("La Pringamosa"), Sonia Silvestre ("Mi Guachimán", "Yo Quiero Andar", "Andrecito Reyna"), Dionis Fernández ("El Guardia del Arsenal"), Los Hijos del Rey ("Rocapiedra"), Fernando Villalona
("Carnaval (Baila en la Calle)"), and Marc Anthony
("Si He De Morir"), among others.
Among the many awards he has received are Lyricist of the Year (Casandra Awards, 1989) and Composer of the Year (Casandra Awards, 1990).
After several years of performances in the Caribbean
region, the United States
and South America
, and after taking his art to Paris
, Marseille
, Moscow
, Leningrad
, Madrid
, Tenerife
, Barcelona
, and Lisboa, in 1991 he returned to New York
, where he would continue his intense work surrounding culture and ethnic studies.
At this stage in life, Luis Días composed the sound track for several films, such as the short film "Dear Teresa (1993), which was honored with the Silver Award at the Philadelphia International Film Festival in 1994. Another highlight is his collaboration with David Byrne
in the sound track for the film "Blue in the Face" (1995), in which Marc Anthony
performed his song "Mi Barrio" along with a rap by Kaz
and Remi Leku.
In 1997 he returned to Santo Domingo
, where he received great support from the audiences at his concerts, and celebrated the release of his first compact disc recordings.
In 1999 the Centro Cultural de España in Santo Domingo
and "Colecciones El Europeo" selected his work to release a compilation titled "Jaleo Dominicano + Homenaje a Luis Días," this being the first time that said institution selected an artist from the American continent for such a distinction. That same year, he was appointed as Director of the Music Department at the Casa de la Cultura Dominicana in New York
.
Between 2002 and 2003 he began recordings for "Radio Macana," an album produced by Reynaldo García Pantaleón y Lliam Greguez, and that would include participation of his band "Las Maravillas" in the sessions. This project includes his work during Luis' stay in New York
between 1999 and 2002. Despite being an independent experimental production, the album included songs that are quite representative of Luis' particular style.
In the year 2004 he is named by the Dominican Government as "National Cultural Patrimony". A concert was held in Santo Domingo
in celebration of this meritorious distinction, which was recorded and released in a DVD titled "Luis Terror Días: El Terror en Vivo".
In 2005, upon a request by the Centro Cultural España in Santo Domingo
, he organized a Merengue band to perform some of his main compositions made popular by other artists. This performance was recorded and later released as a DVD titled "En Vivo desde el CCE: Luis Terror Días, Merengues". That same year he authored the sound track for the Dominican film La Maldición del Padre Cardona (The Curse of Father Cardona).
In 2006 he was involved in a controversy with the Colombian pop-singer Shakira
and the Haitian singer/producer Wyclef Jean
, due to a section in their song "Hips Don't Lie
" in which they make use of the chorus of Días' "Carnaval (Baila en la Calle), " yet with no mention of Días in the song's credits.
Luis Dias died in Santo Domingo, on 8 December 2009, at 57 years of age because of heart attack and kidney and liver complications.
He was immersed in the popular music and customs of Dominican folklore. In the artistic realms he is known as "El Terror" ("The Terror"), due to his particular performance style and his overtones.
He was the author of lyrics and music that fused many diverse musical styles. In some circles, Luis was considered to be the Father of Dominican Rock, due to his contributions to alternative music and his experimentation with Dominican rhythms blended with Rock guitar patterns. In his fusions, Luis accomplished fusions of rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
with more than 40 ethnic rhythms from the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, such as Merengue
Merengue music
Merengue is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. It is popular in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish, taken from the name of the meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar...
, Bachata, and Mangulina, among many others.
Biography
The composer, guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist and singer named Luis Díaz Portorreal was born in Bonao, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, on June 21, 1952. Since childhood, he felt a direct impulse to become a musician, given that his father was a Tres
Tres
The tres is a 3-course, 6-string chordophone which was created in Cuba. A tres player is called a tresero in Cuba and a tresista in Puerto Rico.-Cuban tres:In Cuba, the son was created as a song and a salon dance genre...
player, (an instrument similar to the guitar used in rural Dominican towns), and his mother was a singer of Salves. Lively melodies and rhythms, along with the artistic environment that contained them, were natural surroundings in his life.
He covered his first musical lessons in his own hometown, with the musicians Juan Zorrilla and Tatán Jiménez, and at his 16 years of age he formed his first music band, "Los Chonnys".
In 1970 he changed his residence to Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
with a main objective of studying Psychology at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo
Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo
The Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo is the public university system in the Dominican Republic with its main campus in Santo Domingo and regional centers across the Republic...
(UASD).
He died in Santo Domingo on December 8, 2009, after suffering a heart attack and other complications therein. His funeral procession was one of the longest in recent Dominican history, parading through the barrios of Santo Domingo.
Career
In 1972, upon the initiative of the sociologist Dagoberto Tejada, he began as a guitarist and singer in the band Convite, a musical band on a mission to rescue a variety of rhythms found in the island from obscurity. Other original members were Dagoberto himself, Ana Marina Guzmán (singer), José Enrique Trinidad and José Rodríguez (lyrics and backup vocals), Miguel Mañaná (percussion), José Castillo (percussion) and Iván Domínguez (percussion).Convite was a true musical novelty during that time. They had notable participations at "El Festival Internacional de la Nueva Canción "Siete Días con el Pueblo"" (International Festival of the New Song "Seven Days with the People") in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, 1974, in which Dias' composition "Obrero Acepta Mi Mano" (Laborer, Accept My Hand) was named as the official theme song, and was afterwards recorded by different protest song bands such as "Expresión Joven" (Dominican Republic) and "Los Guaraguao" (Venezuela).
After "Convite" broke up (1978), Días formed another band named "Madora" together with Gustavo Moré, Wellinton Valenzuela, Carlos Fernández, and Luis Ruiz. In this new experiment they sought a fusion between jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and Antillean folklore. In "Madora," Luis culminated a full decade worth of reelaborating and restoring root songs of Dominican tradition. That year he also participated in the XI World Festival of Youth and Students
World Festival of Youth and Students
The World Festival of Youth and Students is an international event, organized by the World Federation of Democratic Youth , a left-wing youth organization, jointly with the International Union of Students since 1947....
in La Habana, 1978.
Between 1980 and 1982, Luis Días traveled to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he focused on teaching workshops about traditional Dominican music at the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
. During this time he was deeply influenced by jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and punk culture.
Birth of Dominican Rock
Although various styles of rock music had been performed in his native country for quite a few years prior, Dias' return to the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
in 1982 represents for many observers the authentic birth of Dominican Rock
Dominican rock
Dominican rock, , is rock music created by Dominican groups and soloists. Originating in the 1980s with the start of Luis Dias band Transporte Urbano, successful bands such as Tribu Del Sol, Toque Profundo and Tabu Tek began to emerge...
. He formed the band Transporte Urbano
Transporte Urbano
- History:Transporte Urbano was founded by the Dominican composer Luis Días, in 1982, after he returned from a temporary stay in New York City.Días, a pioneer of Dominican urban folk music and one of the founders of the folk group Convite, wanted to create Dominican music with a new vision of what...
(Urban Transportation) together with Juan Francisco Ordóñez
Juan Francisco Ordóñez
Juan Francisco Ordóñez is a guitarist from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He is considered an innovator of bachata guitar language, through a fusion of blues, rock and jazz with his particular style..- Career:...
(guitar), Guy Frómeta (drums), Héctor Santana (bass guitar), José Duluc (percussion) and Bruno Ranson (saxophone). A few years later, Hector Santana was replaced with Peter Nova on the bass guitar.
In Transporte Urbano they would pour a wide variety of their musical influences, from Bachata to heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
Awards
In 1983 he was granted a national award for his composition of the main theme song for the Dominican Carnival. The theme was named "Carnaval", but is better known as "Baila en la Calle" (Dance in the Streets). The theme's first performers were Sonia Silvestre and Luis Días himself. By 1985, the very popular Dominican merenguero Fernando VillalonaFernando Villalona
Fernando Villalona, the first artist named "El Mayimbe" , is a Dominican merengue singer whose popularity started to grow in the late 70s and has not declined ever since....
recorded the song with the label Kubaney. To date, the aforementioned version has achieved the highest levels of popularity and recognition.
In 1984 his L.P. Luis "Terror" Días came on the market, which mainly contained songs in Merengue
Merengue music
Merengue is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. It is popular in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish, taken from the name of the meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar...
rhythm, such as "Ay Ombe", "Liborio" and "La porquería", among others.
In 1985 he participated in the XII World Festival of Youth and Students
World Festival of Youth and Students
The World Festival of Youth and Students is an international event, organized by the World Federation of Democratic Youth , a left-wing youth organization, jointly with the International Union of Students since 1947....
(Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
).
Together with Juan Luis Guerra
Juan Luis Guerra
Juan Luis Guerra is a singer, songwriter and producer from the Dominican Republic who has sold over 30 million records, and won numerous awards including 12 Latin Grammy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Latin Billboard Music Awards...
he was commissioned to compose the main theme for Carlos Cristalini's short film "Las Pausas del Silencio" (The Pauses of Silence). They received an award for Best Soundtrack for a Short Film at the Boston International Film Festival
Boston International Film Festival
The Boston International Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Boston, Massachusetts which showcases over 90 films annually....
in 1986.
In 1986 he published a book titled Tránsito Entre Guácaras (Transportation in Between Caves), a work of poetry taking Taíno
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
myths as a source of inspiration. He was also contracted by UNICEF to compose the song "Los Niños Sin Padres" ("Children Without Parents"), which was performed alongside singers Sergio Vargas and Sonia Silvestre.
More than three hundred of his songs have been recorded by various artists and bands. Some notable examples are: Sergio Vargas
Sergio Vargas
For the Chilean football goalkeeper with the same name see Sergio Vargas Sergio Vargas is a Dominican merengue singer. He has been a member of the bands La Banda Brava and Los Hijos del Rey.- References :...
("Marola", "Las Vampiras", "La Novia"), Kaki Vargas ("Los Mosquitos Puyan"), Wilfrido Vargas
Wilfrido Vargas
Wilfrido Radamés Vargas Martínez was born in Altamira, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.He was surrounded by musical influences; namely, his father Ramón, an accordionist and guitarist, and his mother Bienvenida, a flute player and guitarist...
("La Pringamosa"), Sonia Silvestre ("Mi Guachimán", "Yo Quiero Andar", "Andrecito Reyna"), Dionis Fernández ("El Guardia del Arsenal"), Los Hijos del Rey ("Rocapiedra"), Fernando Villalona
Fernando Villalona
Fernando Villalona, the first artist named "El Mayimbe" , is a Dominican merengue singer whose popularity started to grow in the late 70s and has not declined ever since....
("Carnaval (Baila en la Calle)"), and Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...
("Si He De Morir"), among others.
Among the many awards he has received are Lyricist of the Year (Casandra Awards, 1989) and Composer of the Year (Casandra Awards, 1990).
After several years of performances in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
region, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and after taking his art to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
, Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, and Lisboa, in 1991 he returned to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he would continue his intense work surrounding culture and ethnic studies.
At this stage in life, Luis Días composed the sound track for several films, such as the short film "Dear Teresa (1993), which was honored with the Silver Award at the Philadelphia International Film Festival in 1994. Another highlight is his collaboration with David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
in the sound track for the film "Blue in the Face" (1995), in which Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...
performed his song "Mi Barrio" along with a rap by Kaz
Kaz
Kazimieras G. Prapuolenis, or Kaz, is an American cartoonist and illustrator, and one of the most renown living "underground" cartoonists in the world. In the 1980s, after attending New York City's School of the Visual Arts, he was a frequent contributor to the influential comics anthologies RAW...
and Remi Leku.
In 1997 he returned to Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, where he received great support from the audiences at his concerts, and celebrated the release of his first compact disc recordings.
In 1999 the Centro Cultural de España in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
and "Colecciones El Europeo" selected his work to release a compilation titled "Jaleo Dominicano + Homenaje a Luis Días," this being the first time that said institution selected an artist from the American continent for such a distinction. That same year, he was appointed as Director of the Music Department at the Casa de la Cultura Dominicana in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Between 2002 and 2003 he began recordings for "Radio Macana," an album produced by Reynaldo García Pantaleón y Lliam Greguez, and that would include participation of his band "Las Maravillas" in the sessions. This project includes his work during Luis' stay in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
between 1999 and 2002. Despite being an independent experimental production, the album included songs that are quite representative of Luis' particular style.
In the year 2004 he is named by the Dominican Government as "National Cultural Patrimony". A concert was held in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
in celebration of this meritorious distinction, which was recorded and released in a DVD titled "Luis Terror Días: El Terror en Vivo".
In 2005, upon a request by the Centro Cultural España in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, he organized a Merengue band to perform some of his main compositions made popular by other artists. This performance was recorded and later released as a DVD titled "En Vivo desde el CCE: Luis Terror Días, Merengues". That same year he authored the sound track for the Dominican film La Maldición del Padre Cardona (The Curse of Father Cardona).
In 2006 he was involved in a controversy with the Colombian pop-singer Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
and the Haitian singer/producer Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
, due to a section in their song "Hips Don't Lie
Hips Don't Lie
"Hips Don't Lie" is a Latin pop song based in a salsa and cumbia performed by Colombian singer Shakira and Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released in 2006 as the second single from Shakira's second English album Oral Fixation Vol. 2...
" in which they make use of the chorus of Días' "Carnaval (Baila en la Calle), " yet with no mention of Días in the song's credits.
Luis Dias died in Santo Domingo, on 8 December 2009, at 57 years of age because of heart attack and kidney and liver complications.
Discography
- 1974 Convite convida / Nueva Canción
- 1984 Areito No. 1 / Folk
- 1984 Luis Terror Días / Merengue
- 1985 Ae Candelo / Folk
- 1998 El accidente / Rock - Bachata
- 1999 Luis Días y Transporte Urbano En Vivo / Rock
- 1999 Jaleo Dominicano + Homenaje a Luis Días / Rock - Folk
- 2000 Vickiana Las Sesiones de 1985 (with Transporte Urbano) / Rock
- 2000 La Yola (junto a Lliam Greguez) / Acoustic - Rock
- 2001 La Suite Folclórica Dominicana / Compilation
- 2003 Radio Macana / Rock - Folk
- 2004 DVD LUIS TERROR DIAS: EL TERROR EN VIVO (with Transporte Urbano & Irka Mateo)
- 2005 DVD LUIS TERROR DIAS: Merengues
- 2006 DVD LUIS TERROR DIAS: EL TERROR LE CANTA AL AMOR
- 2009 Tiempo de ocio / Rock - Acoustic
Sources
- Arvelo Caamaño, Mario. La primera tierra (in Spanish), 1st edition, May 2000. Pags 51-54 ISBN 0-615-11428-8
External links
- http://www.cielonaranja.com/dias-literatura.htm
- http://aniveldeblog.typepad.com/anivelde/2006/08/lluvias_empaan_.html
- http://patinbigote.com
- http://luiselterrordias.com/
- http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=FuriaSonica
- http://diariolibre.com/noticias_det.php?id=226522