ROMAN DIAZ
Conga, Bongo, Bata

Roman Díaz is a master percussionist from Havana, where he was trained by elders in the fine arts of classic Afro-Cuban musical traditions. In Cuba Roman performed with several groups including Los Marqueses de Atere, Pancho Quinto’s grupo Anaki, Orquesta Sublime, and Yoruba Andavo with whom he recorded several albums including the rumba classic “El Callejon de los Rumberos” on which he sang and arranged the Abakuá march Enyenisón Enkamá (África talks). Roman also taught percussion at Escuela Nacional de Instructores de Arte in La Habana from 1983-86.

Since arriving in the US and settling in the New York area Roman has performed and recorded with many groups and artists including Paquito D’Rivera, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Giovanni Hidalgo, Juan-Carlos Formell, Oriente Lopez, Raices Habanera, Oriki Omi Odara, Puntilla, Yerba Buena, and others.
Roman has also lectured on the methodology, pedagogy, and research of Yoruba culture at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the New York Public Library, and at conferences in Bahia Brasil, and Nigeria.

Roman , or “tico” as I call him, is one of the most humble and soft spoken people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know and work with. If you never heard how his hands command out life from the dead skin of conga drums, or had the good fortune to see him play quinto and command the movements of an entranced rumba dancer, you might not realize that he is a true and recognized master in the high art of Afro Cuban drumming. Then again……you might just google him. Roman has been a member of Ola Fresca for several years.

Romandiaz74@yahoo.com