Dani Cortaza Latin Jazz Guitar

Wether I perform as a soloist or with a group, when you decide to hire me for your event, you can expect punctuality, professionalism, skilled musicianship, good appearance, excellent sound equipment.
I can add additional instrumentalists or vocalists by special request.
Performance styles include Latin, Brazilian, Jazz and South American folk music.
I provide music for cocktail hours, wedding receptions, birthdays, corporate events, private and public venues.

Guitarist Dani Cortaza has more than three decades of artistic life to his credit. This talented musician specializes in Brazilian, Latin jazz and South American folklore, in both nylon and electric jazz guitar. In addition, he also performs, composes and arranges Latin American folk music. He has appeared in many prestigious concert venues around the world, namely in Japan, Europe, South America and the United States. After two decades of highly acclaimed worldwide performances with a variety of musicians and bands, a special Kennedy Center concert brought him to Washington DC in 2002, where he now resides.
He has appeared in concert with international and local musicians, and with his own band at Blues Alley, the Smithsonian Jazz Cafe, Silver Spring Jazz Festival (2007, 2008 and 2016) and Gala Theater, just to name a few venues.
He received two MD State Arts Council’s “Artistic Excellence” Awards, in 2007 (Best Performer and Arranger in the Instrumental Music category) and in 2017 (Best Composer in the Word Music category). His first US-released CD Expressions (2007) received a WAMMIE nomination for Best Jazz Album.
Throughout his musical career, Dani has appeared in more than 30 recordings, not only as guitarist, but also as arranger and producer. One of his present projects includes creating new compositions and arrangements of South American folk music combined with jazz elements. Based on this work, in 2012 he received a grant from FONDEC (Paraguayan National Endowment for the Arts) to produce his second CD Together/Oñondivé, which includes some of his own compositions and arrangements of Paraguayan and South American folk music combined with elements of jazz. The CD was recorded and mixed in Cortaza’s own professional studio InTune Recording based in Adelphi, MD.
In September, 2014, Dani and his group were invited by the US State Department to represent the United States at the Asunción Jazz Festival in Paraguay. The trip included a tour of several cities for concerts and masterclasses. During the same trip, the group played the release concert for the CD Together/Oñondivé in Asunción.
On February 29, 2020, Dani Cortaza was invited to appear with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Terrace Theater in Washington DC, in a concert that celebrated the music of Tom Jobim from Brasill.
Dani is currently working on a new CD of Jazz ballads and South American rhythms with his Jazz quartet and a string orchestra that will be released later this year.

Washington Area Music Association Nominations:
2015 WAMMIE Nominee - Latin Instrumentalist, Dani Cortaza
2014 WAMMIE Nominee - Latin Instrumentalist, Dani Cortaza
2014 WAMMIE Nominee - Latin Music Recording, Together/Oñondivé, Dani Cortaza
2007 WAMMIE Nominee - Jazz Music Recording, Expressions, Dani Cortaza
Dani is a voting member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMY) and the Latin Recording Academy (LATIN GRAMMY).

Dani Cortaza plays custom guitars made by luthier Esteban González of Argentina. (link hidden)

Please consider the location of the music equipment away from doorways and high-traffic areas to avoid any tripping incidents.

For outdoor events, please consider an alternative setting in case of inclement weather (rain, high winds, excessive heat or cold). Please keep in mind that the instruments and sound equipment are delicate and expensive.

The fee includes one set up location. Additional fees applies for an additional location (for example, wedding ceremony and wedding reception).