Angel Fernández
Music Producer, Composer, Arranger and Director
Instruments: Trumpet and Guitar
Getting up in the morning and having some coffee are probably the two most mundane activities Angel Fernández has performed in the most recent days. With the aroma of a freshly brewed cup of java, Angel's musical world comes alive. In the past few weeks, Angel's life has been consumed preparing for the upcoming Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony Tour, for which he is the Music Director.
When asked, "What does your day look like today?" (September 21,2007), Angel's matter-of-fact reply was, "I'll begin by transcribing new material or maybe re-notating something that the band is already doing but has been slightly changed. I have to do the score and then extract the different parts for the individual instruments."
"The first three weeks of rehearsal, I was generally working on Jennifer's material, which was mostly new to us. But now with the tour opening in Atlantic City on Saturday, September 29, we're doing material for both shows, Jennifer's and Marc's. This is definitely two concerts rolled up in one and it's Jennifer FIRST tour ever!
"After doing the scores," Angel continues, "I have a lobby call that varies from day to day, depending on the day's goals. Then we'll drive together to the rehearsal studio or venue. Rehearsals are eight hours long with an hour dinner break. After, we drive back to the hotel, hang out with the guys or just go straight to bed, ready to do it all again the day after."
Angel concludes, "Next week we'll begin production rehearsals at the Taj Mahal, and then it's off to the races! If you see our performance, I hope that our hard work, dedication and love for the music comes across clearly. Of course, I feel very fortunate to be doing what I do and I have lots of fun doing it."
Angel Fernández's musical career demonstrates a creative scope that spans across many genres - Latin and Pop, Jazz and Rock, Funk and classical music. In addition to aforementioned Salsa superstar Marc Anthony and Pop triple-threat Jennifer Lopez, he has worked with such diverse artists as Talking Heads' David Byrne and the late Salsa/Latin jazz great Ray Barretto, just to name a few. His skills as producer, composer, arranger and performer can be heard on many recordings.
From the humble beginnings in Santiago, Dominican Republic, to Brooklyn, New York, Angel demonstrates an affinity for music. The sixth of nine children, he began with drums in the fourth grade, followed by the trumpet in the fifth. Soon after, he added guitar to his repertoire.
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