Dossier
About Dany Noel
“Dany Noel became one of the most important voices
in contemporary Cuban music as a bass player”
Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez
“I know Dany Noel, he and I worked together.
Dany is an excellent bassist, capable of interpreting
any musical genre with absolute mastery”
Chucho Valdés
Daniel Noel Martínez Izquierdo, better known as Dany Noel, is a virtuoso bass player and artist born in Cuba, with extensive experience in Latin jazz and flamenco. His curious soul keeps challenging the definition of genre, and empowers the use of technicality devoted to music.
At the age of 10 he started playing bass and double bass with many Cuban orchestras and artists of recognised national and international prestige like Pío Leyva and Omara Portuondo, members of “Buena Vista Social Club”, Ángel Bonnet, Eddy Gaytán, Xiomara Laugart, and has always been involved in numerous folk music and Latin jazz projects.
In 2004, together with the well-known drummer Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, he founded ITALUBA, a quartet of which he is bassist, composer and arranger. Their record ITALUBA 1 won a Grammy nomination, in the same year, for best album in the Latin jazz category.
In 2006 he launched his first solo album, “Mi sentir”, in which he debuts as a singer, with music composed and arranged by himself, and that was presented at Midem 2006, in Cannes.
Dany Noel has collaborated with several artists including Roy Hargrove, Bebo Valdés, Chucho Valdés, José Luis Quintana “Changuito”, Giovanni Hidalgo, Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, Diego el Cigala, Andy Montañez, Richie Flores, Ivan Lins, Julio Barreto, Dave Valentin, Eric Harland, Alex Acuña, Kenny Garrett, Zucchero Fornaciari, José Alberto “El Canario”, Alfredo De La Fe, The New York Salsa All Star, Orquesta Mercado Negro, Luis Salinas, Niño Josele, Jerry González, Celia Cruz (during her World Tour in 2001), Paquito D’Rivera and many others.
Dany is established in the pop-flamenco and flamenco scene, as he regularly collaborates, for example, with Casa Limón and toured the world with artists like Concha Buika. His work can be found on albums of artists such as Luz Casal, Victoria Abril, Lolita Flores, Ainhoa Arteta, Mariza, Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Fito Páez, Hip Hop Roots, Ojos de brujo.
As an arranger, he worked for the Musical “Enamorados Anónimos”, and for José Luis Perales’ DVD “En directo. 35 años”. He also worked, alongside the renowned pianist Bebo Valdés, with the director Fernando Trueba in his film “Chico y Rita”, and on the soundtrack of the film “La piel que habito” by Pedro Almodóvar. Lately he won with ITALUBA the Cuba Disco prize, with his compositions and arrangements for Big Band, in the best Latin jazz category.
In addition, two of his songs “Por la Habana” and “Amada Habana” have been included in a book that celebrates the 500th anniversary of Havana. In the latter period he has worked with young Grammy winning artists like Tony Succar, and Nella.
In July 2020, the renowned bass guitar brand Laurus made a unique and personalized model called DANY NOEL, available for sale (link to Laurus page). He is endorsed by Markbass.