Diego’s Umbrella
Diego’s Umbrella is a San Francisco-based quintet whose unique musical hybrid of Flamenco-Latin-driven Pop songs has captivated listeners throughout the West Coast since 2000. Often equally confounded, inspired, and addicted, D.U. fans have described the sonic blend as “Spanish Surf Rock” and “Mexicali Gypsy Pirate Polka,” but regardless of what it’s called, the music has proven undoubtedly catchy. D.U. recorded their first album in 2001, and in the ensuing years persistently wrote material, recorded, and toured, leaving a wake of destruction, broken hearts, and hopelessly addicted Spanish Surf junkies in their path. With five albums issued, D.U. released their most inspired project to date in 2007, “Viva la Juerga,” an effort which features a dozen crafty songs that stylistically highlight the group’s Ska and Klezmer influences. The aural pleasantry of Viva la Juerga has earned D.U. new levels of acclaim and mainstream exposure. The band tours the West Coast of the U.S. on a regular basis. In the the fall of 2007 they embarked on a successful 28 show tour of Europe, bringing their unique sounds to Holland, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Luxembourg.
The widespread appeal of their music is evident in the fact that several D.U. songs have been featured in films including Sophia, an X-Dance Award-winning surf documentary and the Quiksilver/Roxy surf feature Shimmer. The young men who comprise D.U. have repeatedly turned down modeling contracts with the likes of GQ, Calvin Klein, Victoria’s Secret, and Medieval Bowhunter to continue a touring schedule that has already included over 500 performances in their relatively brief career. The group has also demonstrated their versatility by holding a weekly residency at the Park Chalet, a popular San Francisco bar and restaurant, since July 2005. Additionally, D.U. has become a popular act at weddings and corporate events for large-scale client companies such as Macy’s, Google, Quiksilver, and The Hilton Hotel. Clearly, D.U.’s consistently positive listener responses indicate that popular music is ready for something new, and Diego’s Umbrella has just the recipe.
