Published: December 27, 2007 10:39 AM EST
By: Isaac Joseph Davis Junior (Juniorscave.com)
World / Latin
Dan Sistos makes love through his music as he weaves a romantic tell of desires and passions that will ignite lovers worldwide. He is a mastermind of the guitar and truly knows how to make music that makes you want to move your body. I recently had a chance to review his EPK (Electronic Press Kit) on Sonicbids (Music Submission/Resource Company) and was very impressed with what I heard. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Dan Sistos.
Isaac-Joseph: I hope your Holiday Season is going well. I want to first start off by saying that you are a master of the guitar. I love your music. I read in your bio that you started playing the guitar when you were fourteen years old in San Diego, California. Describe the first time you picked up a guitar.
Dan Sistos: It was like magic. I instantly fell in love with the instrument. My Dad bought me my first guitar from the local swap meet, and I couldn't have been happier. I would sit in my room for hours listening to my favorite bands and pretending to play the guitar. It was so much fun! But after about six months, I thought I better learn to actually play, so I started taking guitar lessons.
Isaac-Joseph: You were actually awarded a scholarship to the National Guitar Summer Workshop a year later. What did you learned from your tenure at this workshop that you incorporated with your musical performance?
Dan Sistos: I learned a lot there. Aside from the textbook stuff, it was my first experience playing with other musicians. I went from a kid practicing all day in his bedroom, to actually being able to communicate with other musicians.
Isaac-Joseph: You went on to attend the Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood, CA, where you graduated in 1997. How did GIT prepared you for music professionally?
Dan Sistos: GIT was a great school because it prepared me for the real world of music. Often times, the music world inside a school is totally different then the music world outside of school. GIT prepared me for things like being on a stage, having to learn a song on the spot and networking with people. These are things that most conventional schools don’t teach you.
Isaac-Joseph: How would you describe your music to the readers of Junior's Cave?
Dan Sistos: My music is my heart. It is what I feel; experiences I’ve had and people in my life. In a sense, it’s my autobiography.
Isaac-Joseph: You have worked with some of the big names in the recording business. Who have been some of the artists that you have worked with and what did you learn from them that you took with you?
Dan Sistos: My first big gig was I was hired to play guitar for Christina Aguilera. I was only 21 years old at the time so I was relatively inexperienced when it came to a gig of that size. It was my first time playing on live TV. Shows like Jay Leno and David Letterman. It was my first time on a national tour playing for audiences of over 10,000 people. I really just soaked everything up. From the advice of the older guys in the band, to the way a tour operates, I was all ears. Since then, I have worked with other pop artists such as Toni Braxton, Paulina Rubio, Yahir and Gerardo. But after a while, my heart just wasn’t in it anymore. I needed to do my own thing.
Isaac-Joseph: Who are some of your influences and what have you learned from them as an artist?
Dan Sistos: Two of my biggest influences have been Carlos Santana and Vicente Amigo. They both taught me the same thing. Play from the heart! You can have all the technical ability in the world but if you can’t connect to the heart and soul of the listener, then you have nothing.
Isaac-Joseph: "In the Midnight Hours", recently released this year, marks your debut as a composer and guitar soloist. Describe the creative process of making this CD and the feeling of finally completing this major project?
Dan Sistos: I have always wanted to record my own album, but have never had the time. I was always busy working on someone else’s album; which was great because I have been a part of some amazing albums. But, it’s not as rewarding as doing your own thing. On this album, I wrote and produced all the songs. Some I had written a long time ago and some were brand new. I am absolutely thrilled with the result.
Isaac-Joseph: We are too at Junior’s Cave!
Isaac-Joseph: This CD combines a mixture of Latin, Classical and World. What type of feedback have you received from this album? Which genre do you find yourself to enjoy the most?
Dan Sistos: The feedback I’ve received has been extraordinarily positive. People tell me that they can’t stop listening. It makes people move, feel, think and even cry. As a musician and composer, I couldn’t ask for anything more. I really do enjoy all genres. I grew up listening to Rock, Latin, Classical and Jazz so for me music isn’t so much a genre, it’s an emotion.
Isaac-Joseph: One of the reasons I love your music is that it employs a variety of emotions from you. How do you come about the various themes in your music?
Dan Sistos: The themes of my music come from my life. Every emotion you hear on the album I have felt. Whether its love, excitement, happiness or loneliness – I’ve been through it all. I know that other people have as well and that is why we have a connection.
Isaac-Joseph: What do you feel has been the biggest achievement in your career so far?
Dan Sistos: Definitely the release of this album.
Isaac-Joseph: What are you hoping to achieve with your music professionally?
Dan Sistos: I hope to reach out to new listeners. People who don’t normally like instrumental or acoustic music have told me that they love this album. Hopefully I can be a gateway for some people to explore new kinds of music.
Isaac-Joseph: If you had an opportunity to work with someone in the music business that you have not had a chance to work with yet, whom would it be and why?
Dan Sistos: Oh there’s so many! But probably Carlos Santana. I have been a fan ever since I was a little kid. I had the opportunity to meet him once and he is a wonderful human being as well.
Isaac-Joseph: Let's talk about 2008. What are some of your goals in the upcoming year?
Dan Sistos: Well I hope to promote my new album. I want to get as much exposure as I can. I also hope to put together a tour in support of the album.
Isaac-Joseph: This is what we call our shout out time. Give props to anyone and everyone that matters:
Dan Sistos: I would like to thank my family. My wife Gloria and daughter Daniella. My parents, brothers and all my extended family. Also, German Vazquez Rubio for making the beautiful guitars I play and La Bella Strings for making the best strings in the world.
