Cantando means ‘to sing; chant; sound; perform’ and Eduardo Diaz can certainly do this. As the originator of NZ’s most remembered and award winning group, Kantuta, Diaz‘s story as a Chilean from a refugee family is an inspiring one and his journey translates into his music seamlessly. Opening with pan flute for Amanecer, this 14-track album quickly sets the emotive scene of Latin America, ancient civilisations of Mayas, Inca, Aymara with some Peruvian vibes. This is how Diaz describes the influences for this album. Each track offers a new rhythm. It will make you dance with layers of vibrant guitar, piano, crunchy percussion, diverse instruments and the undercurrent of ancient Latin America. Being careful to not only describe this as ‘world music’ (which is a super general term), ‘Cantando Latino’ is a thoughtful album produced in both NZ and Australia. It has a traditional and contemporary feel without losing sight of the richness of Latin culture. Also a few bilingual tracks such as the flamenco feel of Before The Next Teardrop Falls. Renacer is the perfect instrumental rest before the beat kicks in. It’s obvious from track to track that Diaz is a perfectionist when it comes to musical performance, energy and vibration, making this a great album for any setting.