Anderson Matos Ferreras, better known as Andrew Angel, was born on July 23, 1997 in Villa Jaragua-Neyba a small town located in the south of the Dominican Republic. A guitar player, songwriter, and singer he traveled to Miami earlier this year to take his career to the next level.
His artist name fits him perfectly. Angel is always smiling. Cracking jokes and bringing a light energy to everyone around him. He is super motivated and I was excited that he took some time away from meeting with local studios and producers to answer some of my questions. Read the interview below.
Click here to read this interview en espanol.
How did you get started and what does your name mean?
The music has always been with me, my maternal grandfather (Andres) is a musician and in my family bachata and merengue have always been heard. However, it was at my 12 years that I met several musical friends in Santo Domingo, a city in the Dominican Republic, and I started playing the guitar, singing and writing my own songs.
My stage name Andrew Angel Ferrer comes from my maternal grandfather (Andres), My paternal great-grandmother (Angela) and my 2nd last name (Ferreras) then Andrew Angel Ferrer
In 2017 I had the most difficult moments of my life. I was having hard times in my work, I had ended a relationship, existential doubts, my musical project did not take off and all this at the same time I felt depressed by all this. Then in 2018 I went to Puerto Rico and things started to change.
“Caribbean with Romance”
Tell me about your sound, do you have a favorite song?
I am Dominican, I am Latin and my sound is that, Caribbean with romance. My lyrics, acoustic instruments, synthesizers, Latin drums.
My music represents my personality, youthful, romantic, sophisticatedly perverse, playful, sincere, fun with values and principles so that’s my sound.
To choose a favorite song, would be difficult, very difficult to choose a single song as my favorite and I think that for each composer it is also. But I could say that my favorite songs are the ones I’ve written to let off steam personally.
What is your most memorable career moment, and who do you want to tour with?
I love to go on tour with Romeo Santos, Ozuna, Maluma, Prince Royce, Cnco. And from the Anglo world Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheran and Drake
The most important moment in my career I think it was my 13 years when I sang for the first time in a concert that I was invited to in LOS GUANDULES, the neighborhood where I spent my childhood. The nerves, the excitement and the illusion on the stage was inexplicable. When I finish my participation and then the people applaud I said to myself! This is what I want to do for the rest of my life!
Art is not easy, but the satisfaction of doing
what we love is priceless.
What is the most fun part of being an artist, and do you have any advice for up and coming artists?
Art is not easy, but the satisfaction of doing what we love is priceless. If someone wants to do this, we have to have courage, to risk everything and to dream with our eyes open until we can achieve what we want in music.
The most fun to do music is that I am a passionate and I love making music. Whether singing, writing songs, playing guitar, ukulele, piano or beats in FL Studio. Anyway, there’s nothing more fun for me. Sometimes I forget to even eat when I’m doing music.
How does the music scene in Miami differ from the music scene back home and what do you see for the future of “the scene”?
his is the city of magic. Here everything is different, the people, the different cultures, the vibes, the mix of sounds and languages is wonderful and here we have the broadest music industry in America. All I can say is the future is EXCITING, promising with many challenges but very rewarding.
Get in touch with Andrew by connecting with him on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
Andrew Angel Interview in Espanol
How did you get started and what does your name mean?
La musica siempre ha estado conmigo, mi abuelo materno (Andres) es musico y en mi familia siempre se ha escuchado la bachata y el merengue. Sin embargo fue a mis 12 años que conoci varios amigos musicos en Santo Domingo, ciudad de republica dominicana, Y empece a tocar la guitarra, a cantar y escribir mis propias canciones.
Mi nombre artistico Andrew Angel Ferrer viene de Mi Abuelo materno (Andres), Mi bisabuela paterna (Angela) y mi 2do apellido (Ferreras) entonces Andrew Angel Ferrer
What is your favorite song?
Es dificil, muy dificil elegir una sola cancion como mi favorita y creo que para cada compositor tambien lo es. Pero podria decir que mis canciones favoritas son las que he escrito para desahogarme personalmente.Describe your sound.
Soy dominicano, soy latino y mi sonido es eso, Caribe con romance. Mis letras, Instrumentos acústicos, sintetizadores, tambores latinos.
Mi musica representa mi personalidad, juvenil, romantico, sofisticadamente perverso, jugueton, sincero, divertido con valores y principios asi es es mi sonido.
What is your most memorable career moment?
El momento mas importante en mi carreras creo que fue a mis 13 años cuando cante por primera vez en un concierto que me invitaron en LOS GUANDULES el barrio donde pase mi infancia. Los nervios, la emocion y la ilusion en el escenario fue inexplicable. Cuando termine mi participacion y entonces la gente aplaudio dije a mi mismo !Esto es lo que quiero hacer por el resto de mi vida!
If you could be stuck in one year musically, which year would it be?
En 2017 tuve los momentos mas dificil de mi vida.Yo estaba pasando momentos duros en mi trabajo, habia terminado una relacion, dudas existenciales, my proyecto musical no despegaba y todo esto a la vez me ocaciono depresion por todo esto. Luego en 2018 fui a puerto rico y las cosas empezaron a cambiar.
If you could tour with anyone who would it be?
Me encantaría ir de tour con Romeo Santos, Ozuna, Maluma, Prince Royce, Cnco. Y del mundo anglo Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheran y Drake
What is the funnest part of being an artist?
Lo mas divertido de hacer musica es que soy un pasionado y amo hacer musica. Ya sea cantar, escribir canciones, tocar guitarra, ukelele, piano o haciendo beats en FL Studio. En fin, no hay nada mas divertido para mi. Aveces olvido incluso comer cuando estoy haciendo musica.
What advice would you give to up and coming artists?
El Arte no es algo facil pero la satisfacción que brinda hacer lo que amamos no tiene precio. Si alguien quiere hacer esto hay que tener corage, ariesgarlo todo y soñar con los ojos abiertos hasta poder lograr lo que queremos en la musica.
What do you see for the future of “the scene”?
Todo lo que puedo decir es EMOCIONANTE, prometedor con muchos retos pero muy gratificante.
How does the music scene in miami differ from the music scene back home?
Esta es la ciudad de la magia. Aquí todo es diferente, la gente, las diferentes culturas, las vibraciones, la combinación de sonidos e idiomas es maravillosa y aquí tenemos la industria musical más amplia de los Estados Unidos.