Dan Sistos

"World" guitarist Dan Sistos' album "In the Midnight Hours" is a collection of beautiful guitar works. His unique blend of Latin, Classical and World styles take you on a journey through the ages. He is accomplished to say the least. The album opens on a high note with "La Mezquita," a high energy Flamenco number with intriguing percussion. Songs like "Nocturne" and "Song for Gloria" are beautifully haunting. The latin backing rhythm on "Carnaval en Madrid" add a nice body-moving groove to back Dan's guitar work, which is blended periodically with vocals on this track. The album wraps up with a string quartet version of "Song for Gloria," which is gorgeous. If you like great nylon guitar playing whether it be Classical or Flamenco, pick this one up. - RadioIndy.com

The 2008 CD from Spanish guitar master Dan Sistos is a work of guitar art to be appreciated by Flamenco and World Beat music fans. Recorded in L.A., In The Midnight Hours features Sistos superbly recorded in the studio backed up by a full band including bass, drums, piano with several cuts adding in a full string section. While most of the cuts are deep in the modern Flamenco tradition, several others with orchestral backing veer off into a lush, atmospheric, instrumental groove blending orchestral/classical guitar based New Age. In addition to Dan’s skillful guitar playing and composing, In The Midnight Hours benefits from the inventive string and horn arrangements of Arturo Solar. www.dansistos.com
- 20th Century Guitar Magazine

Dan Sistos is a prolific and sought after session and touring musician in the US - playing with some of the biggest names in the business including Christina Aguilera and Toni Braxton.

"In The Midnight Hours" is his debut effort and it sees Dan indulge in his passion of classical and latin guitar and he does it with passion, fire and class.

Dan shows he can mix it with the latin greats of the music world with songs tinged with elements of Santana and even Gloria Estefan on tracks such as the opener, "La Mezquita" and "Contigo". He pulls back the pace and injects fragile and delicate emotions into "Nocturne" and "Rise" while "Song For Gloria" is pure romance.

The album oozes professionalism and style ... the production is top notch with all the right layers while never putting the emotion of the song in jeopardy.

His music comes from the heart and is made for the heart of people who love good music. To put it simply - Dan Sistos is the Carlos Santana for the next generation!

- Black Label Reviews

Dan Sistos is most widely known for his guitar contributions to pop and R&B recording artists, such as Christina Aguilera and Toni Braxton, but the professionally trained musician has now released his first solo album, In the Midnight Hours, a collection of songs that crosses genre boundaries to create a definitively unique sound.

His debut album also marks his first recorded appearance as a composer, basing his wide-range virtuosity on a background of Latin music. Throughout the album, his songs have an unmistakably Latin rhythm, and, combining this with percussive elements and vocal interjections, his music, such as in “Carnaval en Madrid,” drives the listener along in a playful journey.

Other compositions on the album go further to make his years of classical training apparent. In “Nocturne,” a soft piece with lively turns, Sistos places the twang of his Latin guitar on top of a string background to create a song that makes a worthy contribution to the oft-covered “nocturne” category.
Ultimately, Sistos can claim an artistically-successful first album. Despite the overlay of Latin sound, classicists searching for a broader composition will find notable composition listening to In the Midnight Hours, which also absorbs the meandering of jazz and the talent behind classical arrangements.
- Beyond Race Magazine

Sassy percussion and guitar movement immediately draw in its listener on In The Midnight Hours. And so it continues for soloist, Dan Sistos in his most recent album. A true talent of the guitar, he eases through intricate runs and lead lines.


Sistos’ talent surrounds him and is evident in his past performances with the likes of Christina Aguilera and Toni Braxton, and making several major appearances on television’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America and the American Music Awards.

Nocturne is a beautifully dark piece accompanied with full string arrangement that shows Sistos’ contrast from the uber-pop/Latin music genre. Again on Midnight Waltz, Sistos is able to slow things down to almost a breeze as his playing evokes the most intimate of emotions. But my favorite work is in the simplicity of Sistos’ Going Home. If you close your eyes, you’ll swear he’s in the room with you.

Sistos is accompanied by a truly impressive list of class A musicians on this record. Anyone that appreciates well executed Latin music or is a fan of the World Music genre will instantly be a fan of Dan Sistos’, In The Midnight Hours. - Awaken Music

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.
- Juniors Cave Online Magazine