Artist Bios

Daniel Fríes

Daniel Fríes is one of the premier flamenco guitarists in California, both as an accompanist for flamenco song and dance, and as a soloist. He has performed with many world class and local flamenco artists as La Tania, Andrés Marín, Cristo Cortés, and Manuel Gutierrez, Caminos Flamencos, Carola Zertuche, Arte y Compás, and Carolina Lugo's Brisas de España, for which he has been musical director. While in Italy, he performed with two of the country's top dancers, Juana Cala, and Maria Jose Soto Leon in venues from Venice to Milan to Sicily. While his playing style remains grounded in the roots of the traditional Spanish flamenco, he also explores new directions in musical composition as well as blending of elements from the various musical traditions around which he grew up in San Francisco; Indian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African. He has performed in venues ranging from San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, to venues in China and in India. He also directed the music for "Zambra Bailar," a company mixing flamenco with Middle Eastern music and belly dance. In 2002, he composed and directed the music for La Tania's ongoing project, "The Passage of The Muse." In 2003, Mr. Fríes took his band Funkiri to Sevilla, Spain. More recently, he has pursued collaborations with a wider range of musicians, including the outstanding persian singer Hamed Nikpay, with whom he produced Mr. Nikpay's 2008 release and subsequent tour "All is Calm." Mr. Fríes has studied in Spain with several flamenco guitar masters, including Manolo Sanlucar, Paco Peña, and Jose Luis Rodriguez. He has also studied Indian Classical music under Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and Ghanain drumming with C.K. Ladezkpo, and has B.A. in Music from U.C. Berkeley.

Surya Prakasha

Surya Prakasha is noted for his steady time and feel, clear phrasing and taste, sensitive touch and dynamics, flexibility and supporting ability, intensity and emotional fire. A versatile drummer, Surya has experience playing a diverse range of music styles.

Surya graduated with a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory(link) in 1999, where he apprenticed with jazz drummers Greg Bandy, Michael Carvin, Joe Morello, and Dennis Mackrel. He studied intensive music theory, history, performance, composition and arranging with composer and educator Dr. Wendell Logan.

Surya studied African diaspora drumming with percussionist Adetobi Greg Jackson and dancer Adenike Miriam Sharpley from 1994-1999 and performed with both. He studied classical snare drum withMichael Rosen and performed with the award-winning Oberlin Jazz Septet and Ensemble.

Surya has performed with musicians of note such as:
Trumpeters Clark Terry, Mike Mossman, Marcus Belgrave, Matt Schulman, and Greg Glassman; Bassists Jamil Nasser, Lamar Gaines, and John Evans; Pianists Harold Mabern, Muhal Richard Abrams, Neal Creque, and Dave Matthews; Saxophonists James Moody and Donald Walden; Flautist James Newton; Guitarists Bobby Ferrazza, John Schott, and Shelley Doty; and Vocalists Jane Monheit, Vanessa Rubin, Jacqui Naylor, Spencer Day and Pyeng Threadgill.