Daniel Villarreal has long been a widely known and beloved character
on the Chicago music scene, veering between folkloric Latin music and
the city’s flourishing jazz and improvised music scene. Originally
from Panama, he fuses his pan-Latin style with influences of
psychedelic rock, Cumbia, afro-beat, boogaloo, rock, free
experimental jazz, hip-hop, and funk to create an original
contemporary soundscape. On almost any night of the week, you’ll
find him DJing at at least one spot on bustling 18th Street
in his home neighborhood of Pilsen, specializing in groovy vintage
Afro-diasporic sounds and showcasing his knowledge of world music,
electronica, Tropicalia, vintage Latin soul, Chicha, psychedelic
Cumbia, Afrobeat, reggae, funk, and groovy deep cuts beats.If he’s
not there, he’s playing drums with Dos Santos, Valebol, The Los
Sundowns or Ida y Vuelta (all bands he co-leads), or sitting in with
Wild Belle or Rudy De Anda. All of these instincts merge in his own
projects, which employ post-production as an instrument a la Makaya
McCraven.
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02/03/2025 Last update