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 Marvin
Diz is new school, a versatile young Cuban-born and educated musician
who seeks new horizons. Although born into a family rooted in traditional
Afro-Cuban rumba, Marvin reached out across the waters to experience
the music of neighboring nations. Today he is a top-shelf Latin drummer
who is adept at rendering indigenous rhythms of his homeland and blending
them with kindred pulses from other countries. Through the years, Marvin
has developed a remarkable style on timbales—exceptionally fluid
yet thick and organic; sparse, edgy, and angular yet capable of dense,
rapid note clusters. It comes as no surprise that LP
timbales are Marvin's
instrument of choice.
Marvin’s first album, Habla el Tambor (2008) displays
his ability to meld diverse styles into a meaningful “new Latin” that
speaks eloquently to a contemporary audience. Although a relative newcomer
to New York City, Marvin's ever-mounting stature in the metro music
community has enabled him to assemble an A-Team of musicians for his
album. The liner notes are peppered with big names, including Giovanni
Hidalgo, Brian Lynch, Mike Rodriguez, Little
Johnny Rivero, and Pedrito
Martinez to name a few.
Marvin Diz was born in Havana, Cuba in 1976. His family was proud
and intensely musical. To them, the creation of dance academies and
cultural centers are all in a day's work. As a toddler, Marvin would
tap out the two-measure clave rhythm on found objects including bottles
and pencils, while claiming family wood furniture for his drums: his
conga and tumba were dresser drawers! Too young for formal instruction
at this point, Marvin fortunately fell under the gaze of his older
brother and respected conguero Miguel Valdés Aballi. Miquel
kept Marvin busy learning authentic Afro-Cuban patterns. Since his
brother set the bar high with his own prowess on congas, Marvin was
greatly inspired and to this day considers his brother a mentor. Significantly,
their uncle, Angel Valdes, a well-respected musician who gained national
distinction for his work with the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba,
guided both brothers.
By the time he turned fifteen, his calling was clear and Marvin enrolled
at the Gerardo Delgado Guanche Conservatory, then continued with advanced
studies at another academy. Meanwhile, he studied privately with legends
of Cuban music including timpanist Daniel Diaz, whose refined technique
and definitive note placement made an indelible effect on Marvin, who
had decided to specialize on timbales; Changuito, often cited as the
father of songo, owing to his contributions to the Cuban fusion band
Los Van Van; and Roberto Vizcaino. By the age of twenty, Marvin was
performing in several Latin jazz ensembles that played prominent Cuban
festivals.
The road beckoned and in 1999 Marvin Diz hit the road with the band
Las Hermanas Niuvolas, aided in his travel by Cuban government funding.
Costa Rica was a significant stopover and became Marvin's new home.
The local music community accepted him immediately and Marvin began
playing with top acts such as Los Huracanes, Experimento Canto, Timbaleo,
Son Caribe, and Grupo Experimental Canto. When his Costa Rican residency
was coming to a close, Marvin Diz made a momentous decision. He jumped
ship—literally bolted from the Cuban contingent—and put
down roots in Mexico. Again, in no time he was performing with elite
musicians in that country.
Within a year, Marvin had packed his bags for New York City. Here
he got a warm welcome from Latin aficionado, LP
founder Martin Cohen,
while the Latin community embraced Marvin, hooking him up with key
players, a good many of whom appear on Marvin's album Habla el
Tambor (as does his brother Miguel). Concurrently,
Marvin is completing two books: one on the evolution of the kettle
drum, an instrument that is a precursor of the timbale; the other covering
Afro-Cuban rhythms that deserve wider recognition and detailed analysis.
A proud player of LP
all instruments, Marvin is especially enamored
of the range of LP
timbales, which incorporate the classic/retro vibe
of those vintage drums with a sleek modern look, sound, projection,
and durability.
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