Dominican Prodigy Joan Soriano to Perform on Maui

By Madeline M. Ziecker

Joan Soriano's "El Duque De La Bachata" album cover.

Joan Soriano, a solo musician hailing from the Dominican Republic, is coming to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center for the venue’s Moonlight Concert Series on October 6th.

Soriano lives in Villa Mella, an impoverished town in the Dominican Republic, where he develops his music and basks in his heritage. Soriano specializes in the unique genre of “Dominican bachata,” which reflects an important part of Dominican culture.

Bachata songs often tell tales of romance, sadness, and heartbreak, aiming to evoke strong emotions in their listeners using all central musical components – lyrics, melody and rhythm. Even those who don’t know Spanish can connect to Soriano’s special brand of World Music.

Soriano is also a practitioner of Afro-Dominican traditional “‘palo” and “gaga” styles which he incorporates into bachata, creating a musical blend influenced not only by Latin cultures, but also from Africa, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean cultures.

Soriano developed an interest in playing music as a young boy in his hometown, where he made his first guitar out of a metal box and fishing line. He began by starting a band with his siblings, and eventually started performing with some of the Dominican Republic’s greatest classic merengue and bachata musicians. Today, he is globally recognized for his talent.

In addition to his fall tour of the US celebrating his recent album release, Joan Soriano has also captured the attention of two American documentary filmmakers. He was featured in Alex Wolfe’s critically acclaimed musical documentary, Santo Domingo Blues, and is the main subject of Adam Taub’s forthcoming documentary, El Duque (The Duke).

For more information on ticket prices and showtimes, keep posted with the Maui Now Event Calendar.