Artists

Marvin Diz is  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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