“Panamá 77” –a vibrant and verdant suite of multi-textural, jazz-laced psychedelic instrumental folk-funk–is the debut album by Panamá-born, Chicago-based drummer and DJ Daniel Villarreal. Though it’s a debut work in the eyes of the world, Villarreal has long been a widely known and beloved character on the Chicago music scene. Daniel Villarreal may be most known for his big style and magnetic personality, but to musicians on the scene, it’s as much for his talents as a malleable and reliable drummer, with a deep pocket in many styles and sounds. Through Dos Santos and Ida y Vuelta, he’s demonstrated a range of knowledge and skill in various stripes of folkloric Latin music; but, ironically, he didn’t really play traditional Latin music until he moved to the States from his hometown Panamá City.
