Chilean-born and California-bred, Pilar DÃaz is a talented singer-songwriter whose life highlights her many interests. Moving frequently between Santiago and LA as a child, she was taught guitar by her parents, both of whom were acclaimed folkloric musicians, and her voice was soon heard on various cartoons in her native and newfound countries. Accurately reflecting her adopted hometown of Los Angeles, she spent her teenage years going to punk shows in Hollywood, and her bedroom walls had as many photos of Victor Jara and Violeta Parra as they did REM and Bjork.
She graduated from CalArts, where she majored in classical voice (specifically opera), was a member of a Bulgarian women's choir and Balkan music group, participated in a gamelan ensemble that toured Bali, and led a popular campus band with Ryan Francesconi, who currently serves as Joanna Newsom's musical director. During and after college, DÃaz worked with Danny Elfman on numerous soundtracks, and her vocals appear in films like Spiderman and Sleepy Hollow. With her rock band Los Abandoned, a bilingual new wave outfit whose debut album was lauded everywhere from the LA Times to Perez Hilton, she performed on Conan O'Brien and KCRW, gigged with Sonic Youth and Neil Young, and played before a crowd of 40,000 in Mexico City.
DÃaz has now chosen to go solo, working on new songs and exploring new songwriting partnerships. She aims to continue the hybridity of her life experiences and wide artistic tastes, while increasing the personal nature of her songwriting and maintaining her vibrant and unique stage performances.
Sitestage acoustic performance PREVIEW with Pilar (April 5, 2008)
Make a Beat with Pilar! (video by Mariah Garnett - Quiksilver Artist residency April 2008)
interview/entrevista en espanol! March 2008
Pilar Diaz en Galeria Alternativa
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Video clip of Pilar at the launch event for the Quiksilver Artist Residence Program
March 6, 2008
SiteLA Build Out video featuring Pilar+Gold Cobra music!
Barack Obama campaign ad featuring Pilar (shot on February 22, 2008)
December 6th, 2007 at Machine Project in Echo Park.
Pilar is also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/pilar-diaz/16309658205
