What Makes a Strong Solo?

Juan Dhas is constantly seeking to push his limits and abilities as a guitarist, a composer and an improviser. Born on May 4th, 1994 in Dubai, UAE to a Colombian mother and Indian father, Juan began playing Guitar at the age of 12, after having taken several years of classical Piano studies. Eventually, Juan would find himself attending the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he was accepted on a scholarship in 2011. While there, he had the opportunity to study with musicians such as Tim Miller, Bret Willmott, Dave Fiuczynski, Freddie Bryant, Leo Blanco and Scott DeOgburn, among many others. Juan further honed his skills in improvisation, composition and arranging at Berklee, ultimately graduating at 20 years old with Summa Cum Laude honours. Before graduating in 2014, Juan released his debut album Embracing Clarity, which introduced many listeners to his thoughtful, deliberate and intense guitar playing, in addition to his lyrical, yet 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).