Ecuadorian Diego Luzuriaga is a unique voice in Latin American composition. The strength of his music comes from its Andean rhythms and colors, its subtle avant-garde echoes, and its open Latin American lyricism. Recently, his output has been primarily for voice – cantatas, opera, songs (many popular, others on the cusp between popular and art song). Being both composer and poet, he creates vocal works that have intensity, fluidity, and durability. Luzuriaga has also published poetry and a book of short stories.