David “DASO” Soto is a New York–based Afro-Caribbean artist, actor, cultural curator, and community organizer rooted in the historic Puerto Rican arts movement of Loisaida (Lower East Side, NYC). His work bridges music, film, theater, and cultural programming — using art as a vehicle for storytelling, heritage, and community empowerment.

Through performance, media, and institution-building, DASO continues the tradition of Nuyorican artists who shaped Loisaida’s cultural identity while creating new platforms for emerging voices.

Founder — Piragua Art Space, New Village Music Festival, Dekora Digital Records, Piragua Brand

• BronxNet Television — Open with Rhina — Live Performance
• Univision — Estrellas al Despertar — Live Performance
• Lincoln Center — Puerto Rican Culture and Arts Event — Live Performance
• Saint Peter's University — Hispanic Heritage Celebration
• Lungs Festival — New York City
• Toñita Fest — Toñitas Caribbean Social Club
• Puerto Rican Day Parade — AOC Float — New York City
• Piragua Art Space — Cultura Live Event
• Taller Latino Americano — Conciertos En El Techo & El Barrio Canta Su Historia
• Nuyorican Poets Cafe
• Nublu
• Loisaida Festival

• Parranda Loisaideña — Host & Cultural Organizer
• Loisaida Festival — Host
• Piragua Art Space Cultural Events — Founder & Host
• New Village Music Festival — Founder & Host

• Three Kings: Gifts of the Magi — Actor & Director

• Machista — Co-Starring Role
• The Equalizer — Actor
• The Good, The Bad & Tío Umberto — Lead Role
• We Are Here Now, Hidden In Plain Sight — Interviewee

• Music in Film — Panelist & Curator
• Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation — Panelist
• 120 Years of Tompkins Square Park — Panelist
• Bronx Rising!: Nuyoricans & the Emerging Afro-Puerto Rican Music Scene of the 1970s — Panelist

• Siempre Palante Podcast — Guest Interview
• Angel of Wordz Podcast — Guest Interview

• Distancia — Written by David DASO Soto — Performed by DASO El Afro Caribeño — Produced by Dekora Digital Records
• Jengibre — Written by David DASO Soto & William Millán — Performed by DASO El Afro Caribeño — Produced by Dekora Digital Records
• Life Is Grand — Written by Joseph Gonzalez & William Millán — Performed by DASO El Afro Caribeño

• Acker Award Recipient
• Citizen Artist Award

DASO’s work lives at the intersection of culture, memory, and movement. Rooted in the cultural legacy of Loisaida, his music, film, theater, and community programming honor the artists who transformed the Lower East Side through creativity and activism.

Through art, music, and storytelling, DASO creates spaces where the past and present meet — amplifying community voices and celebrating the enduring spirit of Afro-Caribbean and Nuyorican culture.