Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis, known around the world as a Latin GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winning creators of family media, will release an album called Buenos Diaz on April 5, 2019 (Rainy Day Dimes Music, distributed by Burnside Distribution). With 11 songs vibrantly arranged by GRAMMY-winning producer Dean Jones, Buenos Diaz is a bilingual celebration of family life.
Lucky and Alisha are celebrating a decade of creating exciting media for children as Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band. Now touring as The Lucky Band, their refreshingly retro Space Age look reflects the modern vintage sound the new music. Guests on the album include Nathalia, Andrew and Polly and Michael Farkas (the Wiyos). Lucky and Alisha’s 3-year-old daughter, Indiana Maven, inspired the album and her voice is featured in some of the tracks.
The Lucky Band was the very first US-based artists to win a Latin GRAMMY in the Children’s Album category for their album Fantastico. Garnering six Emmy nominations and one win for their work on the show “Lishy Lou and Lucky Too,” husband and wife duo Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis were named “THE face of kindie music” by the Washington Post, “Superstars” by national parenting site Red Tricycle, “The Rolling Stones of Kids Music” by the Style Network, and “The #1 in COOLEST kid’s music!” by People magazine. As Billboard advises, this is “children’s music you should know.” Their 2017 album, Made in LA, also received national acclaim and awards.
After a busy year performing around North America and China (as part of the touring Hand in Hand Festival), The Lucky Band has many international events coming up in 2019 and they recently discussed all of this via an exclusive interview.
The Lucky Band makes music that is good for all ages.
Meagan Meehan (MM): How did you initially get interested in music and how come you focus on kid’s music?
The Lucky Band (TLB): I got a guitar as a 10-year-old and never really looked back. In those days, I was really into Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix and other guitar heroes. Music was fun and challenging. It’s just what I was meant to do. I never really focused on kid’s music. It was only a result of teaching my first daughter Ella about the Beatles and how to make up songs, that I managed to write any children’s songs.
MM: How did you form your band and select your name?
TLB: Our band is made up of a large group of Los Angeles session musicians I was already working with before embarking on children’s music. They really are our family. We travel the world together and our girls know them as their honorary uncles. Alisha is a great entertainer and really brought to the whole thing together. She’s the show. The new name of the band is pretty much boiling down Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band to simply The Lucky Band.
MM: How did you go about breaking into the music scene?
TLB: Our job and vision has always been creating art and happiness. That’s really what the approach has always been.
MM: How much did your daughter inspire the songs on the new album and did she enjoy having her voice featured on some of the tracks?
TLB: This is album is really dedicated to our youngest daughter. The songs are about her and the time in our lives we wrote and recorded it- which is nearing 2 years ago now. Each of our girls inspired their own album. Our eldest daughter’s album was “Oh Lucky Day!” The songs on that record are for and about her. So, “Buenos Diaz” is the same in that way. It is an album that reflects a Tim band place in our lives. The joy, the struggles, the food and the fun!
MM: Of all the songs, have you any special favorites?
TLB: Probably Taco Tuesday and Pan Dulce. Because… I mean- Tacos and Pan Dulce. Now I’m hungry.
MM: How do you plan out your concerts and what can attendees expect from live events?
TLB: Our concerts are energetic and fun. Being free to express oneself is what we encourage our audiences to do. Big or small.
MM: You play international gigs so how—if at all—do you tailor your concerts for different audiences?
TLB: We’ve been playing internationally for about 5 years now. Music transcends most everything. We bring our same enthusiasm and love for performance to every show-whether it’s in San Francisco or Shanghai.
MM: Is there anything else that you would like to mention?
TLB: Only that we’re grateful to be asked about work we love to create. Thank you!
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Visit www.luckydiazmusic.com and follow the band on Instagram for the latest information.
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