Nuyorican Adriel Gonzalez started in music when he was only eight years old by singing in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary with his back to the public. His talent was recognized in church as well as in school activities.
Putting behind his fears of public singing, Adriel got his first opportunity at the New Jersey Puerto Rican Festival. With applause reserved for stars, his debut opened doors for him to sing with many groups in New York and New Jersey.
At 18, he got his first real big break by becoming the lead singer for a prominent New Jersey group named Orquesta Yare. This led him to sing for bigger acts such as Ismael Miranda, Willie Colon, and Hector Tricoche. By 1996, the young man was convinced to begin his own orchestra.
“I’m a salsa fanatic. I love studying the music, its roots. And I respect all artists in this genre because I admire their fortitude in a difficult business“, says the ardent fan who owns a master’s collection of the tropical genre.
Together with his orchestra, Adriel set out to make his mark in Latin music. After singing in front of 15,000 people at Delaware’s Hispanic Society Festival, he was invited to showcase his magnificent voice and stage presence with the Latin Legends of Fania. And at that gig, he shared honors and standing ovations with the late legendary Frankie Ruiz.
His debut album, Esta Noche, allowed him to work regularly and perform on-stage with salsa’s greatest – Michael Stuart, Primi Cruz, Tito Allen, Larry Harlow, Adalberto Santiago, and Nestor Sanchez. Adriel possesses his own style, a salsa fusion of yesterday and today with distinct influences from Domingo Quiñones, Tony Vega, and Gilberto Santa Rosa.
Adriel released A Toda Maquina under the Lideres label in January 2004. It was recorded at the Caribbean Studios in Puerto Rico, under the guidance of producer Cuto Soto. A Toda Maquina consists of ten hot salsa pieces. The songs are composed by Rudy Perez, Omar Alfanno, Kike Santander, Peter Velazquez, and Pedro Javier among others.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
