Oscar Valdés et su Groupo Diákara If you consider yourself a knowledgeable music fan, you might remember Groupo Diákara as a band led by Oscarito Valdés from 1990-1993 that accompanied Silvio Rodriguez. This proud group, now with new members but the same ceaseless quest for quality music, has returned to the spotlight of Cuban music world. DIAKARA. This word describes a spiritual transition to resurgence, a period of grace in the world of truth, according to a spiritual myth of the Mandinga* people. When Oscar Valdés joined the band as the new leader in 1995, he conveyed his knowledge and professionalism to the other members of the group, drawing upon his long musical career as the founding member of Irakere. Currently, his experience and the energetic youth of other Diákara members have formed a happy unison and the band's nowhere-else-to-be-seen, original sound has made the band a prominent fixture in the evolving Cuban music scene. Oscar Valdés y su Groupo Diákara has blended various musical aspects of Afro-Latin jazz, and continues to create unprecedented melodies and rhythms. *Mandinga - Generally referred to as Mandingo or Marinke, this ethnic group lives in Western Africa around Mali, Guinea, and Cote d'Ivoire and has been strongly influenced by Islamic culture.