Multiple Grammy Award-winning Producer Armando Lichtenberger, Jr. to Produce Traditional Album for Legendary Accordion Master Paulino Bernal
Houston, TXLegendary accordion pioneer Paulino Bernal, who has not recorded an instrumental album in over 35 years, will spend the next several days in Houstons Urbana Studios with La Mafia producer Armando Lichtenberger, Jr., a former prodigy who acknowledges Bernal as the single greatest living influence over his own musical career.
Im excited to be working with one of my idols, says Lichtenberger, a founding band member and producer behind the internationally recognized musical group La Mafia, a band that began as a Houston favorite and took the world by storm winning two consecutive Grammy Awards and selling over 10 million Spanish-language albums worldwide before being nominated for and winning a string of Latin Grammy Awards. Lichtenberger is fresh coming off a Latin Grammy win this past November 8 in Las Vegas with his production of Los Palominos album Evoluciones. This win brings the number of Grammy and Latin Grammy wins to 7 for Lichtenberger as producer.
Paulino Bernal, born in 1939 and a native of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, left school at 13, already an accomplished accordion player and leader of Los Hermanitos Bernal. I left school to be a musician and help the family, says Bernal, from La Mafias Urbana Studios in Houstons still largely Latino northside. I cut my first record with Armando Marroquin and Discos Ideal a short time after that.
Though the band left traditional music for a gospel path in the early 70s, it had left an imprint as the premiere conjunto of its time. Led by front man and accordion wizard Paulino Bernal, that experimented with styles that ranged from traditional conjunto polka to tropical cumbia, bolero ballads, cha-cha-cha and even rock & roll.
Its a dream come true. I grew up listening to Conjunto Bernal, says Lichtenberger. Early on, I recognized his genius. I dont think theres ever been or will be an accordion player as gifted as he is. Lichtenberger, who never imagined he would work with his idolo de los idolos, (idol of the idols) much less be invited to produce an album for him, is thrilled to be part of such a historic project, an album that will surely become a classic.
For the last 35 years, Bernal has led a family ministry that now includes a daily radio program throughout the USA & Mexico , musical recording, evangelism, touring and the distribution of his own accordion line. While he remains faithful to the born-again conversion that took place in 1972, Bernal is clear about the need to record his classic compositions with the latest digital equipment alongside a producer who has proven time and again his love for and dedication to musical excellence.
The CD is scheduled for an early 2008 release. It will feature 8 classic tunes such as Idalia & Dolly and also 4 new Paulino Bernal compositions.
For media inquiries, contact Urbana Studios at 832.724.7101.
