GalaTropical Radio
Dj Angel
Angel Maldinado ha complacido a los asistentes a la fiesta durante más de 2 décadas. Su pasión por la música se nutrió de niño en su tierra natal de Puerto Rico. Desde que era un niño, Ángel solía disfrutar de la música que su hermano mayor Juan tocaba todos los días después de la escuela; Raphy Leavitt, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico e Ismael Miranda fueron algunos de sus favoritos. Viviendo en casas lejos del gran Andy Montañez y creciendo con sus hijos, el amor de Angel por la música salsa se hizo más fuerte.
A la edad de 17 años, durante los difíciles años de la adolescencia, sus padres se preocuparon por su seguridad y bienestar y decidieron enviarlo a miles de millas de distancia para vivir con su tía y sus primos en St Paul, MN. Esto fue todo un choque cultural para él, pero rápidamente se adaptó a su nuevo hogar y conoció a varios amigos puertorriqueños que luego se volvieron influyentes en sus inicios como DJ. A principios de los 90, después de sentir la necesidad de escuchar música latina en el bar local que él y su amigo Luis Ortega solían visitar, le preguntaron al dueño si Ángel podía tocar algo de esta música una vez a la semana. “Queríamos sentirnos como en casa, y escuchar a Héctor Lavoe y Celia Cruz, nos devolvió a PR, incluso en esas frías noches de invierno”.
DJ Angel has many skills and a multi-faceted career
Passion
Dj Angels passion for music was nurtured as a child in his homeland of Puerto Rico. Since he was a young boy, Angel used to enjoy the music his older brother Juan played every day after school; Raphy Leavitt, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico and Ismael Miranda were some of his favorites. Living houses away from the great Andy Montanez and growing up with his sons, Angel’s love for salsa music became stronger.
At the age of 17, during the difficult teen years, his parents became concerned for his safety and well being and decided to send him thousands of miles away to live with his aunt and cousins in St Paul, MN. This was quite a culture shock for him but he quickly adapted to his new home and met several Puertorican friends that later became influential to his beginnings as a DJ. In the early 90’s after feeling the need of listening to latin music at the local bar he and his friend Luis Ortega used to visit, they asked the owner if Angel could play some of this music once a week. “We wanted to feel at home, and listening to Hector Lavoe and Celia Cruz, brought us back to PR, even on those cold winter nights”
Commitment
In 2000, DJ Angel wanted not only to play the music his crowd wanted to hear, but he wanted to bring well recognized international artists to the cities. That’s when with the support of management from “The Quest Night Club”, he brought Andy Montanez for a concert. Andy has not been the only one visiting the TC thanks to DJ Angel, he was shortly followed by Grupo Niche, El Gran Combo de PR, Oscar DeLeon, Guayacan Orquesta and more!!
Past Achievements
In the late 90s DJ Angel was voted the best salsa DJ and MC at Chicago’s “Tropicana de Cache” nightclub. Some other recognitions include; Twin Cities’ Latin Music Ambassador by La Prensa de Minnesota “Mario Duarte”-1999, Top Salsa DJ by Vida y Sabor Magazine-2003 and in 2010 he was voted the best Latin DJ and promoter by Univision. MN.
Quality
Being the first Latin DJ and equipped with a vast range of musical knowledge, DJ Angel played at weddings, quinceañeras and birthday parties. He became fully immersed into the DJ scene and created a pretty nice buzz throughout the cities. Before long, he was building a huge following and played at some of the hottest Latin night spots in the Twin Cities including Amelia’s (1996), The Quest Night Club (1998), First Ave (1998), Conga Latin Bistro (2000).
Wanting to share his music with followers at all these places, promoting became naturally for DJ Angel. On the year 1998, he starting promoting several places’ Latin Nights; These places included The Quest Night Club, The Hyatt Hotel, Minneapolis Cafe,Babalu restaurant and others.
Skills
Although, DJ Angel has many skills and a multi-faceted career, DJing and music remains his first love. Puerto Rico… to learn the latest hits in tropical music. “I like to be able to “read” the crowd and play the music they want to hear; it can be Salsa, Merengue, Reggaeton, Cumbia…”He spends hours listening to the best radio stations in NY, California,
. “As a DJ, I have the ability to control my crowd’s emotions, and that is very cool.” Says Angel “To be able to put a smile on your face. To put on a song that’s gonna take you there or to play a song that tears you up is very