Hyperactive accordion-driven merengue music from Montreal via the Dominican Republic. Diaz is an extremely dextrous player and the music is saved from claustrophobia by minimal accompaniment from a bassist and three percussionists. The (oddly uncredited) recording engineer panned each side of Diaz's squeeze box into separate stereo channels, which makes the recording sound even more vivid - it sounds like he's playing right in front of your head, and you can feel Diaz's crazed expression from the cover photo staring right through you.
(Festival)Joaquin Diaz
Ola
BY Michael BarclayPublished Oct 1, 2000