Patricio “El Chino” Diaz (Cuba)
- jocelyn331
- Mar 9
- 1 min read
Patricio “El Chino” Díaz is a Cuban percussionist specializing in timbales, a pair of drums commonly used in Cuban music and salsa. Born in Camagüey, Cuba, in 1974, he studied at the Vocational Arts School Luisa Casa Romero and the Higher Institute José White. In Havana, he trained under percussionist José Luis Quintana a.k.a. “Changuito” for six years. Díaz performed with groups such as Son del Barrio and Algo Nuevo before relocating to Venezuela in 1993, where he worked with Maelo Ruiz, Lalo Rodríguez, and the Fania All Stars. He also taught at several universities and participated in international percussion festivals. Since moving to the U.S. in 2016, Díaz has continued performing, teaching, and sharing educational content through his YouTube channel, PercussionTV.
Featured Song:
“Mi Paila Criolla (Danzón),” from his 2024 debut album El Timbalero Llegó (The Timbale Player Has Arrived), is a tribute to Cuba’s national dance, the danzón. Using the term paila criolla (Creole pots), as timbales are sometimes called in Cuba, Diaz sings “The drum I learned from the cradle was born / That’s why / With excitement and commitment / I play its lofty beats.”
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