BONA FIDE DUO

Cuban Classical guitarists Carlos Vázquez and Lázara Luisa Díaz formed the Duo Bona Fide in Havana, Cuba in 2011. Mr. Vázquez and Ms. Diaz, both graduates of the Universidad de las Artes in Havana, have been performing regularly as Bona Fide Duo  in distinguished concert halls and guitar festivals in Cuba and the United States since 2011. As of 2013 the duo has resided in New Jersey and have been married since 1993. 

Mr. Vázquez and Ms. Diaz have more than thirty cumulative years of experience as professors and instrumentalists.  As part of the teaching faculty of the prestigious Conservatorio Alejandro Garcia Caturla in Havana, Cuba, they taught classical guitar at all levels for two decades, preparing students as soloists, for duos, trios, quartets, guitar ensembles and guitar orchestra for competitions, concerts and festivals. Since their arrival in the United States in 2013, Ms. Díaz and Mr. Vázquez have been instructors of guitar at private music schools in the Tri-State area. As solo guitarists, Mr. Vázquez and Ms. Díaz performed in master classes given by luminaries of the classical guitar world: Leo Brouwer, David Russell, Costa Cotsiolis, Wolfgang Lendle, Robert Ausel,AntonioRodríguez,IchiroSuzuki,PaoloPaolini,VictorPelegrini, Eli Kassner, John Williams, Steve Goss, and LuigiAttademo among others.Most recently in 2023, Ms. Díaz obtained a Masters in Classical Guitar Performance from New Jersey City University under the guidance of Dr. Celil Refik Kaya.

The Duo Bona Fide repertoire consists of compositions by Bach, Marcello, Piazzola, Falla, Hernández, Lecuona, Guerra, Duarte and also includes original music composed for the guitar duo.  Bona Fide also performs Mr. Vázquez’ original arrangements of compositions for chamber instruments, standards from the Latin American canon and the many other musical genres of the world.

Of Additional Interest:

Duo Bona Fide was selected by the Cuban Ministry of Culture and the National Guitar Commission to perform for the renowned guitarist Yamandú Costa at the International Festival Cubadisco in 2012.Invited by the Duo Martín in 2011, Bona Fide performed at the First International Guitar Festival Identidades in Cuba and performed in a tribute to the celebrated Cuban song writer Pedro Luis Ferrer in 2012. Between 2011-2013 Bona Fide  performed with Ars Longa in concerts held in the UNESCO designated district of Havana, Cuba. In 2017, Duo Bona Fide was invited to perform at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee by the  notable guitarist René Izquierdo. Duo Bona Fide has performed in live concert performances on national radio and television throughout Cuba, and in the United States. Since 2013, Duo Bon Fide has been featured in the community concerts series offered by Mayor Brian Stack & The Board of Commissioners of Union City, New Jersey and also have performed regularly at the William V. Musto Cultural Center in Union City, New Jersey.

In 2022-2023, Duo Bona Fide performed in concerts during Hispanic Heritage Month at New Jersey City University and at the Public Library of Jersey City, Earl Morgan Branch.Duo Bona Fides’s first album Doce Cuerdas, was produced by the eight time Latin Grammy nominated and Grammy award winner, composer, and producer Yalil Guerra. The CD can be heard on  Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon.

In 2022, Carlos Vázquez and Lázara Luisa Díaz founded the Bona Fide Music Studio in Newark, New Jersey. In May 2024 Duo Bona Fide performed at the Classical Guitar Society of New York and at the Andrew York Festival in New Jersey City University. Also participated at the New York Guitar Seminar at the Hunting College of Music and at the Brooklyn Classical Guitar Society in New York. They performed in a sold out concert at the " Cuban Cultural Center of New York" . In 2024 they are featured to perform in a Concert Series for the community of Union City , New Jersey, sponsored by the Board of Commissioners of Union City.

Carlos Vázquez and Lázara Luisa Díaz are presently preparing their second album as the Dúo Bona Fide.    

Awards

Silver medal in the “Global Music Awards Competition 2024”, Rosenberg Texas, United States. Platinum medal in the “Global International Music Competition 2024”, organized by Concours de Musique et des Beaux Arts, Canadá. Second prize in “Charleston International Music Competition 2024”, South Carolina, United States