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/ KESTA HAPPENING MAGAZINE
/ MAY 2014
URBAN
By: Malayna Butler
AT THE END OF THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR HIS SONG “FLOW VIOLENTO” ARCANGEL AFFIRMS,”YO NUNCA FALLO, POR ALGO ME DICEN ‘LA MARAVILLA’” IMPLYING THAT HE GETS THINGS DONE, SEEMINGLY WITHOUT EXPLANATION AND NEVER FAILING. THERE IS A HIDDEN TALENT. KNOWN FOR HIS SEDUCTIVE AND SENSUOUS VOICE, IT’S NOT DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY HIM ON ANY TRACK. He also
has a face that would stand out in a crowd. Austin Santos was born on December 23, 1985 in New York’s Spanish Harlem to a Dominican mother and a Puerto Rican father. He later moved to Puerto Rico to pursue a career in music and came to make up half of the duo “Arcangel & De La Ghetto”. They signed to Baby Records under Universal Music and fulfilled projects for Machete Music. The pair later separated to launch solo careers, however prior to parting ways, they were featured on Hector El Father’s compilation album “Sangre Nueva” which gave them both notoriety with the song “Ven y Pega”. Arcangel’s mother, who had been a member of a merengue group “Las Chicas del Can”, eventually took on a role as his manager. He founded Flow Factory in 2008 and released “El Fenomeno” that same year, then “The Problem Child Mixtape” (2010), “Optimus A.R.C.A” (2010) and “Sentimiento, Elegancia y Maldad” in 2013.
In addition to the aforementioned tracks, Arcangel has laid down songs heard on other compilation albums and mixtapes, including DJ Nelson’s “Flow La Discoteka 2”. Arcangel is becoming a veteran in the game and worked with Farruko on “Mi Vida No VA a Cambiar” and was featured on Daddy Yankee’s “Llegamos A La Disco”. He appeared in that video drapped in Gucci, his fashion preference. He even has a song called “Gucci Boys Club”. My favorite Arcangel songs are “Pa’ Que La Pases Bien” and “Chica Virtual”. Despite pressure from the record label to release “Sentimiento, Elegancia y Maldad”, Arcangel wanted to take his time and give fans a more authentic and genuine record. In fact the album took over 3 years to complete and there are 18 songs on the album. Arcangel speaks about putting off this highly anticipated record for so long in an interview. “I took my time, although the record label was pressuring and I continued to say ‘No’. I have to live my life fully [in order to make good music]. If I don’t live, laugh, love… If I don’t have any problems, then I don’t have anything to talk about.” He didn’t want to be rushed into producing an album just for the sake of selling a product. He spoke openly regarding the leak of the album’s tracks online and in retrospect thanked those who were responsible for it since momentum and interest was generated and had an overall positive effect. He actually wished that they
had done so sooner. When asked about future projects he confirmed that promoting this release on tour was his primary focus for 2013 and 2014. In addition to “La Maravilla” other nicknames have also stuck. Arcangel has been referred to as “Mr. Cash on Carry”, “Arcangel Prrra” and “El Fenomeno”. His talent doesn’t end with the songs that he creates. His music videos show him taking on character roles and provide a deeper sense of the messages in his music and a heightened sense of creativity. He also attempts to make magic on screen. You see him travel throughout Europe in “Hace Mucho Tiempo”, then as a school student in “Me Prefieres A Mi”, then as a prison inmate in “Por Amar A Ciegas” and as a young man sneaking into his girlfriend’s house clandestinely in “Contigo Quiero Amores”. This dramatic aspect and his versatility may be the reason that he was cast in the movie “Muerte en el Paraiso”, a film about two brothers who live drastically different lives while touching on issues prevalent throughout the music industry. Witness Arcangel “La Maravilla” on stage with Ken-Y on Thursday, May 22 at Echostage. For tickets and more information visit, www.tickeri.com. █
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