Daniel Puente Encina

Biography

The musical career of singer-songwriter and guitarist Daniel Puente Encina, born in Santiago de Chile. has always been marked by different genres and styles. From the Clash-like New-Wave-Post-Punk of the late 80s, to his current melodic and danceable Latin Crossover Jazz, his creativity has been constantly evolving and developing, bearing witness to his insatiable curiosity and willingness to experiment, a quality that makes him truly distinctive and stand out from other contemporary Latin artists.

His first, anti-fascist and controversial New-Wave-Post-Punk-band, the legendary and notorious los Pinochet Boys, a symbol of the revolution in Chile, has been acknowledged and honoured in various books and documentaries. Due to their irreverent style, their wild, rebellious and explosive performances, the teenage-band would be unofficially forced to leave his home country by the Chilean military regime in 1987. Daniel travelled through South America, USA and Europe and finally at the end of the 80’s Daniel found his inspiration in West Berlin.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, he moved to Hamburg, which resulted in a very successful new band: NIÑOS CON BOMBAS. For this extraordinary Latin Jazz-Ska-Rock he soon received the John Lennon Talent Award in 1995. With Niños con Bombas he published two albums, De Tiempo en el Momento de la Explosión in 1996 and El Niño in 1997. His songs such as Skreamska or Postcard became popular through worldwide radio airplay and video rotation on MTV Music Television. The band had outstanding tours throughout the USA (festival South by Southwest), South America (festival Rock al Parque, 90,000 spectators) and Europe. In Germany, they are particularly known for their successful concerts as the supporting band for Einstürzende Neubauten. In 1997 Daniel became friends with Turkish-German film director Fatih Akin which started a long lasting cooperation as a film composer. Many of his songs such as Cocomoon, Nunca Diré, El Amor se demora, Ramona or Not here are included on the soundtrack of Akin’s movies, such as Short Sharp Shocklos), In July (Im Juli), in which Niños Con Bombas perform the song Velocidad in a cameo, and his multi award-winning film Head-On (Gegen die Wand). Niños Con Bombas split up in Los Angeles in 1999.

Since 2000, Daniel started to perform and produce under the name Polvorosa in Barcelona, creating his own new style: Latin-Elektro-Clash, touring with Chambao and Ojos de Brujo. In 2004, Daniel released Polvorosa's album Radical Car Dance. The song Behind de mi House became an international dance floor hit and was included on the compilation album Los Videos Mas Espectaculares (The Most Spectacular Videos) by MTV Spain.

In 2012, Daniel recorded his first solo album, Disparo (Shot). In 2013, he invited New York soul singer Monica Green to take part in the recording of new versions of the tracks Lío and Mike Tyson to give them a touch of "Motown". In 2014, Daniel published Chocolate con Ají (Chocolate with chili), the second work launched under his own name. In 2015, Daniel Puente Encina played a supporting role as "Sadler" in Maria Schrader's film "Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe” (Vor der Morgenröte). In 2016 he presents his new animated music video Freire, created by the team of talented Chilean illustrator Cristián Montes Lynch. In 2017 he records a piano version of his smooth-jazz classic Odd Desire with the Majorcan organist and pianist Llorenç Barceló.

His third solo album, Sangre y Sal (Blood and Salt) was published on 14 June 2019.

In November 2019 Daniel Puente Encina was awarded with "The Lukas 2019", (The Latin UK Awards), Runner Up in the category "European Jazz/ Folk Act of the year".

PRESS QUOTES:
"A fascinating character, and a restless artist. Sangre y Sal takes us on a journey as elegant as it is hypnotising. A range of rhythms and styles as wide and diverse as the very musical geography he dares explore… songs performed with both mastery and a (wonderful) lack of scruples… A voyage across the continents, an undisguised homage from an artist ready and willing to do anything (except take the easy way out)." RUTA 66
"...instantly seductive rhythms that stand out from anything else currently emanating from our loudspeakers... addictively hypnotic music... a wonderfully deep album that if we were forced to choose just one this year, this would undoubtedly be at the top of the list." JAZZTHETIK
"...full of sophistication and musical originality….highly elegant, varied, entertaining and beautifully performed and produced at the highest level.. Stunning sound... a rebel, and unrepentant pioneer capable of touching the innermost reaches of any heart or mind with his powerful poetry. An artist before whom we simply have no choice but to bow down. Exceptional!" SOUNDANALYSE
"...one of those records that refreshes your soul... an organic mixture so natural that you immediately wonder who's responsible for it and where they've been for so long... A record like this happens only very rarely in a lifetime, but when it does you have to hold onto it forever." PLASMA MAGAZINE
"...an atmospherically dense work... hypnotic melodies and original rhythms... extraordinary and good" DARKSTARS
"...A wonderful journey through South America. Undiluted pleasure... in short: spectacular" METALGLORY
"...without a shadow of a doubt, a real treat for lovers of the genre..." TERRORVERLAG WEBZINE
"Breathtaking rhythms with melancholic undertones" STADTKIND HANNOVER
"....if it doesn’t move you, then you must be dead...." ROCKAXIS
"....a gem…a marvellous creature, a cult symbol...." LA VANGUARDIA
"....a first class artist...." VIA X
"....A musical explosion...powerful rhythms and a fearless sound...." KIELER NACHRICHTEN
"....compelling, expressive and authentic music...." ECKERNFÖRDER ZEITUNG
"....Furious, cool and totally poetic...a musical seducer...." WOLFSBURGER NACHRICHTEN
"....Chocolate con Ají....one of the year’s most exciting Latin CDs...." FOLKWORLD
"....his music seems to have jumped right out of the film and soundtrack of From Dusk Till Dawn...." ZITTY BERLIN
"....most virtuosity, elegance and taste…own, unique style …unmistakeable...an extraordinary talent...." THE CONCERT IN CONCERT
"...Disparo...an excellent album...Undoubtedly, a creation to discover and enjoy...." ZONA DE OBRAS

AWARDS:
DANIEL PUENTE ENCINA - "The Lukas 2019", (The Latin UK Awards), Runner Up, category European Jazz/ Folk Act of the year.
POLVOROSA - "Los Videos Mas Espectaculares" ("The most spectacular videos") by MTV Music Television 2004. DVD compilation.
Song «Behind de mi House», Album «Radical Car Dance»
NIÑOS CON BOMBAS - John Lennon Talent Award 1995

AUDIO CDs:
DANIEL PUENTE ENCINA – «Sangre y Sal» (2019), Polvorosa
DANIEL PUENTE ENCINA – «Chocolate con Ají» (2014), Polvorosa
DANIEL PUENTE ENCINA – «Disparo» (2012), Polvorosa
PINOCHET BOYS – «Pinochet Boys» (2012), Hueso Records
POLVOROSA - «Radical Car Dance» (2004), K Industria
NIÑOS CON BOMBAS - «El Niño» (1997), El Diablo Digital, Grita Records
NIÑOS CON BOMBAS - «De tiempo en el momento de la explosión» (1996), Intercord / Grita Records

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS / FATIH AKIN MOVIES:
POLVOROSA - «Head on» («Gegen die Wand»), (2004), Normal Records
POLVOROSA - «In July» («Im Juli»), (2000), Sony Music
NIÑOS CON BOMBAS - «Short Sharp Shock» («Kurz und schmerzlos»),(1998), Motor Music

COMPILATIONS:
POLVOROSA - «Sex, City, Music: Barcelona», (2006), Petrol
POLVOROSA - «Electronic Latin Freaks», (2005), Subterfuge Records
POLVOROSA - «Barcelona Raval Sessions», (2004), Exil/ Indigo
POLVOROSA - «Popkomm Sampler», (2000), Tonspion
NIÑOS CON BOMBAS - «Elektro Latino Vol.1», (1999), Potomak
NIÑOS CON BOMBAS - «Skaliente» (1998), Grita Records
NIÑOS CON BOMBAS - «Rolling Stone New Voices, Vol. 21», (1998), Rolling Stone

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