When it comes to Afro-Cuban percussion, Jesús Díaz is Bay Area royalty. Whether he’s recording with Grateful Dead rhythm wizard Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum, laying down grooves for Santana or leading his own potent combo QBA, Díaz has been a creative force on the West Coast for some four decades. He arrived in the United States from Havana as part of the chaotic 1980 Mariel exodus, seeking freedom and opportunity. Since settling in Oakland in the ‘90s, the percussion virtuoso, songwriter, vocalist and educator has taken full advantage of both, performing with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie and Andy Narell to Tito Puente and Celia Cruz. As bandleader in his own right he’s honed a dance-centric repertoire with his powerhouse 10-piece QBA, which features the cream of the Bay Area Latin music scene while specializing in the scorching Havana style known as timba.

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