About CantarÉ & Cantosur

CANTARÉ, LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC

Based in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area, our mission is to offer high-quality musical performances that also inform audiences about Latin American geography, history and culture. This engaging educational approach has become very popular in schools, libraries, museums, government agencies and a variety of other public and private venues.

Cantaré is lead by vocalist Cecilia Esquivel and guitarist Dani Cortaza, both from Argentina. Vocals are accompanied by several live string and percussion instruments from Latin America plus bass, percussion and keyboard backing tracks. A larger ensemble is available upon request. Additional members of Cantaré come from a core group of accomplished Latin musicians residing in the Washington Area.

Cantaré has released 4 recordings: three CDs for children – Baila para Gozar (2002), Al Agua Pato (2005) and Mucha Música (2014), and one CD for adult audiences Evaluna by Cantaré and Friends (2005). In addition, in 2006 Cantaré recorded the companion CD for the award-winning book Arrorró mi Niño: Latino Lullabies and Gentle Games by renowned children's author and illustrator Lulu Delacre.

CANTOSUR

CantoSur is the concert version of the group, featuring pure music without the educational component. Suitable for concerts, private events, a restaurant, bar or lounge, etc. Learn More. 

AWARDS

Washinton Area Music Association

2014 WAMMIE Nominee - Children's Music Recording, Mucha Música CD

2006 WAMMIE Nominee - Latin Music Recording, Evaluna CD

2005 WAMMIE Nominee - Children's Music Duo, Cantaré

2005 WAMMIE Nominee - Children's Music Recording, Al Agua Pato CD

2004 WAMMIE Nominee - Children's Music Duo, Cantaré

2004 WAMMIE Nominee - Latin Music Duo/Group, Cantaré

2003 WAMMIE Nominee - Children's Music Duo/Group, Cantaré

Parents' Choice Foundation

2006 Winner of a Parents’ Choice Award for Al Agua Pato CD

About the performers

CECILIA ESQUIVEL - VOCALIST

In her native Argentina, Cecilia Esquivel studied at the National Conservatory of Music. She moved to Washington in 1984 to continue her studies in vocal jazz performance.

Cecilia holds a BA in Music Performance from the University of Maryland, where she studied jazz under Ronnie Wells and Ron Elliston. She also holds an MSW degree from the Catholic University of America. In her performances and workshops, she combines her knowledge of music and  social work to reach individuals with a variety of learning styles, educational challenges and emotional  difficulties.

As a member of Cantaré, Cecilia performs Latin American music for audiences of all ages in schools, libraries, festivals and major public venues. She also teaches workshops and residencies.

In addition, Cecilia is very active in the Washington area music scene. She performs both as a soloist and with ensembles, and does studio work as a singer, arranger and recording producer. Her work has earned her repeated recognition from the Washington Area Music Association (see Awards below).

Cecilia is currently working on a duets recording of Brazilian, Jazz and Argentinian standards with guitarist Dani Cortaza. Click here to hear soundbites from her webpage.

DANI CORTAZA - GUITARIST

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 Brasil.

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. 

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. www.estebangonzalezmusica.com.ar