Who is Juan@? Who is Shamán?
- History of Juan Shamán- Biography of Jenaro A. Díaz Ducca
- History of Old Shamán (1993-2003)
All of us are Juan@!
Going back to our native-indian roots, we must recognize that the shaman (from Tunguskan " saman", and form Sanskrit "sramana": ascetic or monk) - also called "sukia" or "awá" in Costa Rica) has a deep social and spiritual meaning. In addition to being doctors, shamans (male or female) are singers, fortune-tellers, priests, leaders in times of peace and war, advisors, teachers, transmitters of cultural heritage, protectors and mediums to Mother Nature (Pacha Mama, Gaia), etc., in the American continent and in the rest of the world. (Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania).
Our idea is that all of us are and can be shamans. It lies within us the ability to open up to Nature and to people around us. We can open up our spirit and our mind to subtler and less selfish spheres of feeling, thought, and action. Since we Latin Americans are no longer "pure" indians nor Europeans, our Latin American blood combines the richness of both antique American cultures as well as those of the European, African, Chinese, Jewish, Moorish, etc.
All of us are Juan or Juana ( thus Juan@ ) because inside all of us, every man and every woman, there lies the potential to grow spiritually and intellectually in order to create a better future for us, but mainly, for those who have not been born yet. The construction of a better world depends on us. It's you, Juan@, who must decide if things will go on as usual or if we can do something to change it... Like José Martí used to say, we must believe, create, and grow.
That is why giving our musical experiment the name Juan Shamán, intends to reproduce this multiple cultural heritage: we try to rescue the values of the past and project them into the future. This can only be accomplished by the integration of contemporary elements, and by ther union by creativity, love, and honesty. (See Juan Shamán: The Ends justify the Principles.) For deeper clarity, this can be expressed in this simple Mestizo equation:
Old World + New World = Juan Shamán
or,
Juan Shamán = You + Us
or,
Juan Shamán - You = 0
OK, but who is Juan Shamán?
Juan Shamán, born in September 2003, is the Latin-Rock solo project of Jenaro A. Díaz-Ducca, former singer of Shamán, (1993-2003). See Noticias and History of Shamán. Some of the musicians who have performed with Jenaro are, Leonardo Madrigal (Shamán-Cardamomo), Rodolfo Muñoz (Cardamomo), Carlos Morales (Suite Doble-Villegas), Mario Alfaro (Shamán), José Laurián Díaz, Rafael Chavarría (Shamán-Áuriga-Vórtice), Mario Angelo Manai (Blind Pigs Blues Band-Mantra), Roy Williams, and Osvaldo Nielsen.
So , Juan Shamán has decided to work hard enough in order to bring into light our vision of the world, life, and art. This is reflected in our lyrics and compositions. They tend to lean towards the dark and melancholic side of Latin Rock, art, and the human heart.
Some of our influences can be found here...
Finally, we must admit that although we take our job seriously, we try to keep our sense of humour... We celebrate Peace, Hope, Life, Love, and Beauty... even if for Art everything counts...
Juan Shamán is:
Jenaro A. Díaz-Ducca, vocals, keyboards, guitars, drums, bass, Latin percussion, and programming.
Live musicians :
Ricardo Alfaro, electric and acoustic guitar.
Andrés Soto, drums and percussion.
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All rights reserved 2003-2008 - www.juanshaman.com
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u-suré
