Carlos del Junco

Last updated
Carlos del Junco
Carlos del Junco.jpg
Background information
Born (1958-05-17) May 17, 1958 (age 65)
Havana, Cuba
GenresBlues, jazz
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Harmonica
Years active1990s–present
Labels NorthernBlues
Website carlosdeljunco.com

Carlos del Junco (born May 17, 1958) is a Cuban-Canadian harmonica player.

Contents

Career

Del Junco was born in Cuba and moved to Canada with his family in 1959. He started to play harmonica when he was fourteen. [1] He graduated from Ontario College of Art where he majored in sculpture. [2]

He plays a ten-hole diatonic harmonica using an "overblow" technique developed by Howard Levy of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. [1]

In the 1980s, Del Junco performed with Eyelevel, Ontario College of Art Swing Band, and for six years with the rhythm and blues group the Buzz Upshaw Band. In 1990, he formed the blues/jazz fusion band the Delcomos. He has recorded with Marcel Aymar, Cassandra Vasik, and Oliver Schroer.

In addition to leading his band the Blue Mongrels, he has worked with Kevin Breit, Bruce Cockburn, Holly Cole, and Kim Mitchell. He wrote music for Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, a play by Tomson Highway that was produced in 1991. At the Hohner World Harmonica Championship in Germany in 1999, he won two gold medals, one each in the blues and jazz categories. [3] In November of that year he released his first album.

Accompanied by guitarist Jimmy Bowskill, he recorded the album Blues Etc. (2016) in his living room with a laptop computer. [1]

Awards and honors

Discography

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References

  1. 1 2 3 King, Bill (5 December 2016). "A Conversation with ... Carlos del Junco". FYIMusicNews. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  2. "Carlos del Junco, Harmonica - ABOUT". Carlos del Junco. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  3. Warren, Carole (6 May 2016). "My Playlist: Carlos del Junco on his personal tastes, from Alex Cuba to Oscar Peterson". CBC Music. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  4. Nasmith, Cecilia (19 July 2017). "Del Junco likes to support the local scene". Northumberland Today. Retrieved 4 November 2017.