The Band
Duende bring the passion and emotion of Nuevo Flamenco to new audiences, with a journey through flamenco, Gipsy Kings, timeless classics, and originals by award-winning, renowned K-W guitarist, Juneyt.
Duende are a six-person collective of the Canada's top musicians: Juneyt Yetkiner (guitar and vocals), Leo Orlov (guitar and vocals), Adam Kurgatnikov (bass), Aaron "LoveSound" Seunarine (percussion), Aaron Spink (drums), and David Skolnick (accordion, guitar, piano, and vocals).
The band’s name in Spanish means “a feeling of profound awe experienced from a work of art or music”, and this band delivers. This is a performance not to be missed!
Juneyt
Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Juneyt is a seasoned self-taught Flamenco & Nuevo-Flamenco guitarist with 25 years of expertise. His musical journey has seen him share the stage with luminaries like Liona Boyd, Santana, and the Doobie Brothers.
Beyond his remarkable performances, Juneyt's philanthropic spirit shines as he dedicates time to over 50 charity events annually. Notably, he serves as the Musical and Educational Director for H20 Congo Movement and is the President of the Chris Lane Foundation for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Cancer.
Juneyt's accomplishments include winning the 2017 Toronto Independent Music Awards and the 2019 Waterloo Region Arts Awards. A five-time nominee for Waterloo Region Arts Awards, he has composed music for television documentaries and earned 29 Diamond Readers Choice Awards from 2014 to 2022.
Adam
Adam Kurgatnikov, a distinguished professional bassist and musician, is an alumnus of the University of Guelph, where he honed his skills with a degree in Music Performance. Renowned in the Toronto music scene, Adam showcases his remarkable talent in several premier event bands. Additionally, his creative prowess extends to composing music, with his compositions gracing campaigns for world-renowned brands like GMC, Buick, and TD.
Aaron
Aaron Spink is a drummer, educator, and clinician, living in Ajax, Ontario.
Aaron is a graduate of the Humber College Bachelor of Music program, where he studied under the tutelage of drummers Mark Kelso and Paul DeLong. After Humber, Aaron joined on with the Yamaha Music School, now located in Markham, as their lead drum instructor. Since joining Yamaha in 2007, Aaron has also become a Yamaha Drums Course and PMC (Popular Music Course) national clinician and certified Drums Course examiner for Yamaha Canada.
Outside of education, Aaron is also busy as a performer. Aaron’s resume of musicians and artists he has performed with includes Randy Brecker, Danilo Perez, Steve Gadd, Sarah Brightman, and Beverley Mahood. Aaron also has a wealth of experience as a pit drummer for many musicals such as The Altar Boyz, Broadway Gold I & II, Any Dream Will Do: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Assassins, Hairspray, Anne of Green Gables, and many more. Aaron also works with many of Toronto’s premier corporate and wedding bands such as Soular, Stereoflavour, Side One, and Parkside Drive. Aaron also travels and performs internationally with Groove Marmalade and Abraxas: The Ultimate Santana Tribute.
Aaron is endorsed by Yamaha Drums and Yamaha Canada, Murat Diril Cymbals, Headhunters Drumsticks and Creations, Remo Drumheads, and PolyNome.
LoveSounD
Aaron “LoveSounD” Seunarine is a professional musician and educator with over 20 years of experience playing the Steel Pan, Drums, Congas and many other Percussive Instruments.
He is currently a Musical Instructor for the TDSB and has studied at Humber College (both community school and BA in Music) and Trebas Institute for Audio Engineering and has been fortunate enough to perform with some of the best in the business and is also part of the Hitmen Drumming Group and SolePower, whom both do performances for MLSE sporting events.
While being a full-time teacher and playing Drums/Percussion in several bands within the city, LoveSounD also dedicates his time teaching under privileged youth within the GTA, also playing the Steel Pan at several senior/retirement homes and schools, spreading his love of music to all ages.
Leo
Leo Orlov is an academically trained guitar player, drummer and singer specializing in various styles. He has studied with some of the best instructors from Spain, Iran, Brazil and Toronto, allowing him to gain performance experience in festivals such as Caribana, Electric Zoo, and abroad in Cuba and Mexico. In Toronto, he is frequently hired to perform Spanish guitar for private events and Drums/Percussion for DJ events. He is currently employed as a contract music educator for the YRDSB and YRCSB. He hold the positions of Drum/Percussion department head at Alla Breve Music Academy, as well as a contract accompanist for the Dance Department at York University in Toronto.
David
David Skolnick is a professional pianist, accordionist, guitarist, and singer living in Mississauga. He can be found playing all over the GTA at weddings, parties, and concerts. He is proud to be a part of Duende Kings, and Off the Rock - A Tribute to Great Big Sea. David’s biggest passion has always been to create and play music that moves people and to teach others to do the same. Trained classically on the piano from age 7, David began to expand his repertoire to jazz, pop, rock and bossa nova in high school. Throughout university and beyond, David loved exploring music from other cultures, such as klezmer, salsa, Turkish folk, and French chanson.