Carlos del Junco (born May 17, 1958) is a Cuban-Canadian

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

player.

Career

Del Junco was born in Cuba and moved to Canada with his family in 1959. He started to play harmonica when he was fourteen. He graduated from

Ontario College of Art Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD, is a public art university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is spread throughout several buildings and facilities within do ...

where he majored in sculpture. He plays a ten-hole diatonic harmonica using an "overblow" technique developed by

Howard Levy Howard Levy (born July 31, 1951) is an American multi-instrumentalist. A keyboardist and virtuoso harmonica player, Levy "has been realistically presented as one of the most important and radical harmonica innovators of the twentieth century. ...

of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. In the 1980s, Del Junco performed with Eyelevel, Ontario College of Art Swing Band, and for six years with the rhythm and blues group the Buzz Upshaw Band. In 1990, he formed the blues/jazz fusion band the Delcomos. He has recorded with

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, and

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. In addition to leading his band the Blue Mongrels, he has worked with

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, and

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. He wrote music for ''Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing'', a play by

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that was produced in 1991. At the

Hohner Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of musical instruments, founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner (1833–1902). The roots of the Hohner firm are in Trossingen, Baden-Württemberg. Since its foundation, and though known ...

World Harmonica Championship in Germany in 1999, he won two gold medals, one each in the blues and jazz categories. In November of that year he released his first album. Accompanied by guitarist

Jimmy Bowskill Jimmy Bowskill (born 16 September 1990) is a Canadian Blues music, blues singer, guitarist and bassist based in Toronto, Ontario. Early life Bowskill grew up in Bailieboro, Ontario, Bailieboro, a small village near Peterborough, Ontario, where he l ...

, he recorded the album ''Blues Etc.'' (2016) in his living room with a laptop computer.

Awards and honors

* Harmonica Player of the Year (eight times), Maple Blues Awards, Toronto Blues Society * Blues Musician of the Year, ''Jazz Report'' magazine, 1996 * Gold Medals (2), Hohner World Harmonica Championship, Germany, 1999 * Best Blues Album nomination, Juno Awards, 1999 * Best Blues Award, ''NOW'' magazine, 2007

Discography

* ''Blues'' (1993) with Bill Kinnear * ''Big Road Blues'' (1995) with Thom Roberts * ''Just Your Fool'' (1996) * ''Big Boy'' (1999) * ''Up and at 'Em'' (2001) * ''Blues Mongrel'' (2005) * ''Steady Movin' '' (2008) * ''Mongrel Mash'' (2011) * ''Blues Etc.'' (2016) with

References

Live Tour Artists website
* ''Toronto Star'', July 4, 2005 * ''Blues Review'', June/July 2005, p. 47 * ''Le Journal'', December 4, 2004 (French) * ''Seattle Times'', April 25, 2005 * ''Times Herald'', February 25, 2005 * ''Chicago Sun-Times'', April 28, 2006

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Junco, Carlos Del 1958 births Living people People from Havana Canadian jazz musicians Jazz harmonica players Canadian harmonica players Cuban emigrants to Canada Canadian world music musicians Northern Blues Music artists