Dominican Republic——Luis Díaz Portorreal

The composer, guitarist 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. 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. Lively melodies and rhythms, along with the artistic environment that contained them, were natural surroundings in his life.  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.

Discography

• 1984 Areito No. 1 / Folk
• 1985 Ae Candelo / Folk
• 1974 Convite convida / Nueva Canción
• 1998 El accidente / Rock - Bachata
• 1999 Jaleo Dominicano + Homenaje a Luis Días / Rock – Folk
• 2001 La Suite Folclórica Dominicana / Compilation
• 2000 La Yola (junto a Lliam Greguez) / Acoustic - Rock
• 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
• 1999 Luis Días y Transporte Urbano En Vivo /
• 1984 Luis Terror Días / Merengue
• 2003 Luis "Terror" Dias & Las Maravillas - Radio Macana / 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

Thanks for Nancy Germain' s work.
Photos by Angelica Bautista.