Carlos del Junco

Who is Carlos del Junco?

Carlos del Junco is a Cuban-Canadian harmonica musician.

Mr. del Junco immigrated with his family when he was one year old. He started to play the harmonica at 14 years old. He graduated from college with honours at the Ontario College of Art majoring in sculpture.

He specializes in playing the ten hole diatonic harmonica. He was taught to play chromatically by using an "overblow" technique taught to him by Howard Levy, a jazz virtuoso.

In the 1980s, Mr. del Junco performed with many bands including Latin/Reggae/R&B band "Eyelevel", "Ontario College of Art Swing Band" with Bill Grove and for six years with the rhythm and blues group "The Buzz Upshaw Band".

In 1990, he formed a blues/jazz/fusion band, "The Delcomos" with Kevin Cooke. He also has recorded with Marcel Aymar, Cassandra Vassick, Oliver Schroer, and Holly Cole.

In 1993, he won two gold medals at the Hohner World Harmonica Championship held in Trossingen, Germany. He was judged world's best in both the diatonic blues category and the diatonic jazz category. In November of that year he released his first CD with Bill Kinnear.

He is currently signed with Toronto's NorthernBlues Music.