HERMISTON – A Canadian sculptor turned harmonica player is coming to Hermiston to perform.

Carlos del Junco, a 44-year-old musician who has released several CDs and has been dubbed by Canadian newspapers as a “jazzy blues genius” will be here next month.

Del Junco will open the Desert Arts Council’s year of events Oct. 12. He will perform at 7 p.m. at Hermiston High School’s auditorium.

Del Junco was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to Canada with his family when he was 9 years old. He majored in sculpture at the Ontario College of Art. He started playing the harmonica at 16, but didn’t play professionally until he was 34 years old.

“Music is just a different way of creating textures and shapes,” del Junco said.

He plays the 10-hole diatonic harmonica and plays in an “overblow” technique taught to him personally by jazz virtuoso Howard Levy. This method allows him to play 12 keys when his instrument of choice is designed only to play two or three different keys.

In concert, del Junco plays a mixture of blues, Latin, New Orleans funk, swing, traditional and contemporary jazz, African, hip hop and ska-flavored tunes.

He has released two CDs, one titled “Big Boy” and more recently “Up and at ’em.” Del Junco also has been named harmonica player of the year in Canada and was awarded two gold medals at the World Harmonica competition in Germany.

Del Junco’s Hermiston show is sponsored by Hermiston Community Bank, Dr. John Spomer, Schroth Realty, Shelco and Hermiston Drug.

Tickets for Desert Arts Council events are $25 for singles, $45 for a single family event. Season tickets that include all of the season’s events cost $75, couples $120 and family, $130.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 567-1800.

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Reporter Carie L. Call can be reached at 1-800-522-0255 (ext. 1-304 after hours) or e-mail: ccall@eastoregonian.com.