Nearly three years ago Dirty Maria exploded onto Toronto's thriving rock music scene. How did a rock band with songs en espanol gain such success in a city where rock en espanol is not exactly mainstream? Dirty Maria is not your average Spanish rock band. Their sound is raw, the energy is high, the music with a definite Latin edge but translates into any language. The 4 members Saul Torres, Marino Ojeda, Alex Berben and Kevin Mata, like Toronto, represent a hybrid mix of cultures: Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Panama respectively. Drawing on their Latin American roots Dirty Maria have forged their own truly unique sound. Dirty Maria have attracted a large local fan base who enjoy the group's high-energy, dance-til-you-drop performances. Dirty Maria first gained fame locally as winners of the Toronto LAMC conference. They have appeared on the Omni 2 TV series "Metropia" and as guests on various programs on TV network TLN and they have recently been nominated for a Toronto Independent Music Award (2007).Dirty Maria have played locally at famed Toronto clubs such as the Horseshoe Tavern, El Mocambo and the Opera House, where they opened for Grammy-winning band, Kinky. The band is enjoying continued success, playing locally for audiences of all kinds.
