Juan Dhas

uan Dhas is constantly seeking to push his limits and abilities as a guitarist, a composer, and an improviser. Born in Dubai, UAE, to a Colombian mother and Indian father, Juan encountered duality and global influence from a young age. After studying classical piano, Juan began playing Guitar at the age of 12 and went on to attend Berklee College of Music, where he studied with musicians such as Tim Miller, Dave Fiuczynski, and Scott DeOgburn, among many others.

Before graduating in 2014, Juan released his debut album, Embracing Clarity. The album introduced new listeners to his thoughtful, deliberate, and intense approach to guitar playing in tandem with his lyrical and intricate compositional style. Embracing Clarity was described as “very impressive in that Dhas exhibits a distinct musical personality at such an early stage of development” (All About Jazz). The album saw critical acclaim, with numerous reviews and international radio airplay in the US and various countries in Europe and Latin America

In late 2016, Juan returned to Bogotá, Colombia, where he created his sophomore album, Catharsis. Working with Colombian musicians Ramón Berrocal (drums), Kike Harker (upright bass), and Jacobo Álvarez (drums) allowed Dhas to return to his classical roots and pair them with Modern/Contemporary Jazz influences. Over time, Juan has had the opportunity to collaborate with various musicians and groups, most notably Petros Klampanis, Daniele Camarda, César López and John Stowell amongst others. 

Catharsis received a wide variety of press internationally, with international radio airplay and positive reviews in All About Jazz, Citizen Jazz and Something Else Reviews. The compositions “Deeper Spirit” and “Sleep” from Catharsis were named Semi-Finalists in the 2018 International Songwriting Competition for the Jazz and Performance categories. Dhas has also twice received recognition as a finalist with honourable mention in the Unsigned Only 2019 and 2021 competitions for both “Deeper Spirit” and “Nomad”, respectively.

Since arriving in Bogotá, Juan Dhas has been steadily carving a name for himself within the Colombian Jazz scene by performing regularly with various local Colombian musicians. Dhas’ credentials also include a past position at EMMAT (a Berklee International Network school) as Chair of the Guitar Department and a brief one-year stint in Dubai working with a specialised performing arts academy. Juan has since returned to Colombia, further exploring his musical voice.

Tags