Sir Kevin Says

Alex Acuña Biography  

Alex's South American and Caribbean roots and understanding of contemporary and classical music make him a complete and skilled master musician. In 2000, Alex Acuña y Su Acuarela De Tambores received a Grammy nomination for “Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album” for "Rhythms for a New Millennium". This solo album included varying styles of Latin, South American and African percussion. The nomination confirmed Alex's vast knowledge and expertise of percussion rhythms. Zan Stewart of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Alex Acuña is the epitome of the world music percussionist, to whom no style is a stranger". Alex also received two Latin Grammy nominations in 2003. Los Hijos del Sol “To My Country”, which was released by his independent record label – NIDO Entertainment. The second Latin Grammy nomination came for Tolu’s “Bongo de Van Gogh” released by Tonga Productions. In 2004, Alex released his follow up album by Alex Acuña and the Unknowns titled “No Accent”. New Cd called Barxeta by Losen records 2013. In addition, Alex has composed music for various artists and produced "Thinking of You" by Alex Acuña and the Unknowns, "Rumberos Poetry" by Tolú and "Aliyah" by Kay Silberling. This year will see the release of some new DVD projects for Drum Channel. Alex recognizes his music as a gift from the Lord Jesus and gives all the glory to God!

Special thanks:  

Alex Acuña 

Izzy Santiago (Cameras)

Chad Manalo (Audio Editing)

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Gear used:

Macbook Pro (Early 2015): https://amzn.to/3ea8DCI

RØDE Procaster Microphones: https://amzn.to/2TtHeDG

RØDE Pop Filter: https://amzn.to/36lSFm2

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WEBSITE: http://www.sirkevinchong.com

Teddy Campbell Biography  

For ten seasons, from 2004 to 2016, Teddy Campbell was seen by millions as the drummer on FOX’s hit show, American Idol. He made history serving as the drummer and lead singer on the final three seasons of NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” He is currently touring with Boz Scaggs. After honing his talent at an early age on the gospel scene, this Chicago native relocated to California in 1998. It was there that an impressive resume began to evolve. He served as musical director and drummer for Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. He has recorded with Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart, Kelly Clarkson, Mary Mary, and many more. He’s toured with Bette Midler, The Backstreet Boys, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Queen Latifah, George Benson, and others. He’s played on movie scores such as Dreamgirls, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Pitch Perfect 3, American Sniper, and more.  Some of Campbell's television credits include "The Grammy Awards," "The NAACP Image Awards," ”BET Awards” “BET Celebration Of Gospel” "The Billboard Awards," "VH-1 Divas" and "VH-1 Save the Music." In addition, Teddy has co stared in 5 seasons of WeTV's hit reality show Mary Mary.  A combined joy of drumming while singing led Teddy to form his own band, The Teddy Campbell Band. As the frontman of this soul/rock unit, Teddy had the opportunity to further utilize his gifts, while having fun, and leaving crowds mesmerized in the process. As a husband, father, musician and singer Campbell wears many hats, but he attributes it all to Gods grace.

Gear used:

Macbook Pro (Early 2015): https://amzn.to/3ea8DCI

RØDE Procaster Microphones: https://amzn.to/2TtHeDG

RØDE Pop Filter: https://amzn.to/36lSFm2

FOLLOW ME: http://www.instagram.com/sir_kevinchong

WEBSITE: http://www.sirkevinchong.com

Christine Devine Biography  

Devine is known for her "Wednesday's Child" adoption segment. Since 1994 she has profiled foster children looking for adoptive homes, resulting in more than 500 adoptions. In 2009, she was honored in Washington, D.C. with a congressional award. She wrote a book on "Wednesday's Child": Finding a Forever Family, A News Anchor's Notebook.  Devine has received the Congressional Coalition's Angels in Adoption award, two Gracie Allen Awards from AWRT (American Women in Radio & Television), the Society of Professional Journalists' Anna Quindlen Award for Community Service, Volunteers of America' Media Volunteer of the Year (LA) award, Child Welfare League of America award and Career Achievement from the Chamber of Commerce.[citation needed] She is in the Arizona State University Alumni Hall of Fame. She has been honored by the LAPD, LA County Board of Supervisors, LA City, and LA County Sheriff's Department.  Devine was a co-chair of The Good News Foundation, a non-profit founded by five LA news anchors/reporters wanting to honor the "good" in Los Angeles[citation needed] GNF helped build a computer lab for homeless children, and a showroom for low-income women to receive free career clothing. It sponsors an apartment at the Downtown Women's Center for homeless women, and a journalism scholarship.  On November 20, 2015, Devine was celebrated at Fox News, having worked there for 25 years.

Special thanks:  

Christine Devine and FOX Studios for location shoot.

Alex Maldonado (Cameras)

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Gear used:  

Macbook Pro (Early 2015): https://amzn.to/3ea8DCI

RØDE Procaster Microphones: https://amzn.to/2TtHeDG

RØDE Pop Filter: https://amzn.to/36lSFm2

FOLLOW ME: http://www.instagram.com/sir_kevinchong

WEBSITE: http://www.sirkevinchong.com

Thanks for checking out Episode XIII with AJ Rafael!  

AJ Rafael Biography   

AJ Rafael is a singer/songwriter from Riverside, CA. He has 870,000+ subscribers on YouTube, & 400,000+ monthly listeners on Spotify. AJ released his first album in 2011, Red Roses, debuting at #5 on iTunes Pop Charts. He has traveled all around the world sharing his music, including Australia, Canada, and the Philippines. AJ is an advocate for the Asian American community and was recently named a Filipino American Game Changer by the City of LA. In Episode XIII, AJ and I talk about how he started in YouTube, his musical career, theatre work, how he has navigated through negative comments, and much more!  

For more on AJ visit: http://www.ajrafaelmusic.com

Special thanks:  

AJ Rafael  

Alex Maldonado (Cameras) 

Devon Nelman (Cameras)

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Gear used:  

Macbook Pro (Early 2015): https://amzn.to/3ea8DCI

RØDE Procaster Microphones: https://amzn.to/2TtHeDG

RØDE Pop Filter: https://amzn.to/36lSFm2

FOLLOW ME: http://www.instagram.com/sir_kevinchong

WEBSITE: http://www.sirkevinchong.com

Thanks for checking out Episode XII with Tony Succar!  

Tony Succar Biography 

Tony Succar is a producer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer/arranger whose talents stem from a passion for music gifted to him early on in life. Born in Lima, Peru and raised in Miami Florida, Succar is grateful to have come from a family of musicians. That early musical influence is his foundation and set the groundwork for what was to come. “I was privileged to be brought up in a family of musicians: I couldn’t be more grateful,” Succar explained. His gratitude goes beyond those in his family who have supported and encouraged him; it extends to his fans, fellow musicians, teachers, and other musical influences.

Tony’s most recent album, UNITY: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson had tremendous success, reaching Billboard’s #1 Tropical Album Music Chart, iTunes #1 World Latin Chart, and Amazon's #1 Latin Pop Music chart, among others. The UNITY project was signed with the Universal Music Group as a joint venture between Universal Classics and Universal Music Latin Entertainment. The album was the brainchild of Succar and evolved into a nationally televised primetime PBS special that kicked off the PBS Fall Arts Festival. The special was produced by Succar and OPB (Oregon Public Broadcast) and recorded in front of a packed house at the historic Olympia Theater in downtown Miami. The nationwide viewing audience was impressive, numbering more than half a million PBS viewers.

For more on Tony you can visit his website:  htttp://www.tonysuccar.com  

Special thanks: 

Tony Succar

Kritzia Chong (Cameras)

Gear used:  

Macbook Pro (Early 2015): https://amzn.to/3ea8DCI

RØDE Procaster Microphones: https://amzn.to/2TtHeDG

RØDE Pop Filter: https://amzn.to/36lSFm2 

FOLLOW ME: http://www.instagram.com/sir_kevinchong 

WEBSITE: http://www.sirkevinchong.com

Thanks for checking out Episode XI with Joey Heredia! Joey is a Los Angeles based studio drummer who I want to study with when I was about 13-14 years old. I never got a chance to but crazy how life works and we end up connecting anyway to do the podcast!

Joey Heredia Biography  

Joey has worked with:  Tower of Power, Diego Amador,  Sheila E., Stevie Wonder,  Freddie Hubbard, Poncho Sanchez, Tania Maria, Dianne Reeves, Billy Childs,  Scott Henderson,  Gary Willis,  Tribal Tech,  Frank Gambale,  Steve Lukather,  Carole King, Manhattan Transfer, Joe Sample, Herb Alpert, Sergio Mendes, Hubert Laws, Peggy Lee,  Willie Bobo, Claire Fischer, Michael Ruff, James Ingram,  Robben Ford,  L. Subramaniam,  Nuno Bettencourt, Perry Farrell, Kenny Rankin, Jennifer Paige, Doc Severinson, Bob James, Son Mayor, Moacir Santos, Andy Fraser, Carlos Rios,  George Duke, Roger Waters,  Chick Corea, and many more.

Special thanks:  

Joey Heredia 

Alex Maldonado (Cameras) 

Daniel Contreras (Cameras) 

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Gear used:  Macbook Pro (Early 2015): https://amzn.to/3ea8DCI 

Microphones  

RØDE Procaster Microphones: https://amzn.to/2TtHeDG

RØDE Pop Filter: https://amzn.to/36lSFm2

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FOLLOW ME:  http://www.instagram.com/sir_kevinchong 

WEBSITE:   http://www.sirkevinchong.com

Thanks for checking out Episode X with Oscar Hernandez!  

Oscar Hernandez Biography   

Oscar Hernandez is a 4x time Grammy-award winner and leader of the renowned Spanish Harlem Orchestra. He is a pianist, arranger, composer, and a bandleader. He has worked with Ray Barreto, Ismael Miranda, Celia Cruz, Conjunto Libre, Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez, and Grupo Folkorico.  He has produced such artists as Ruben Blades, Paul Simon, Willie Colon "Carabalí", Daniel Ponce, Rafael DeJesus, Eddie Torres, Phil Hernandez, Steve Kroon, Juan Luis Guerra, and many more.  On Episode X we discuss his career that spans over 40 years, his experience working with so many respected artists, the responsibilities of a bandleader, and encouraging those that work hard at their craft to continue persevering.  

For more on Oscar Hernandez and Spanish Harlem Orchestra visit:  

http://www.oscarhernandezmusic.com 

http://www.Spanishharlemorchestra.com   

Special thanks:  

Oscar Hernandez 

Alex Maldonado (Cameras) 

Daniel Contreras (Cameras)

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Gear used:  

Macbook Pro (Early 2015): https://amzn.to/3ea8DCI

RØDE Procaster Microphones: https://amzn.to/2TtHeDG

RØDE Pop Filter: https://amzn.to/36lSFm2 

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FOLLOW ME: http://www.instagram.com/sir_kevinchong 

WEBSITE: http://www.sirkevinchong.com

Thanks for checking out Episode XI with Mauricio Guerrero!  

Mauricio Guerrero Biography 

Mauricio Guerrero is a 6x Grammy Award Winning Mixing Engineer and Producer. Native of Santiago, Chile, he has made his mark in the U.S by working with such artists like Phil Collins, Beyonce, Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Juan Gabriel, Placido Domingo, Jose Feliciano, Raphael, Mijares, Lucero, and a host of other artists.  On Episode XI we talk about his upbringing, when he discovered he wanted to do music for a living, what it takes it win a grammy, and his advice for those aspiring to become a mixing engineer. 

For more info on Mauricio you can visit:  http://www.mauricioguerrero.com  

Special thanks:  

Mauricio Guerrero Sr.

Alex Maldonado (Cameras) 

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Gear used:  Macbook Pro (Early 2015): https://amzn.to/3ea8DCI 

RØDE Procaster Microphones: https://amzn.to/2TtHeDG

RØDE Pop Filter: https://amzn.to/36lSFm2

FOLLOW ME: http://www.instagram.com/sir_kevinchong 

WEBSITE: http://www.sirkevinchong.com

Happy New Year! Didn't get a chance to post much the last couple of weeks due to the holidays and work but we're back to once a week (every Friday) with the episodes!  

Otmaro Ruiz Biography  

On Episode VIII, I feature Grammy-nominated Otmaro Ruiz from Caracas, Venezuela. An incredible, pianist, keyboardist, arranger, and former instructor of mine. We take the time to discuss his musical background, how his culture has influenced his playing, what style of music he wishes would be more popular, and even a demonstration of rhythmic displacement. Really hope you enjoy it!  

Check out http://www.otmaroruiz.com for more info!   

Special thanks:  

Otmaro Ruiz 

Alex Maldonado (Cameras) 

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Gear used:  Macbook Pro (Early 2015): https://amzn.to/3ea8DCI 

RØDE Procaster Microphones: https://amzn.to/2TtHeDG

RØDE Pop Filter: https://amzn.to/36lSFm2

FOLLOW ME: http://www.instagram.com/sir_kevinchong 

WEBSITE: http://www.sirkevinchong.com

This episode was supposed be released on Friday, December 14th, but unfortunately I ran into technical errors when exporting the project (it only had exported 12 minutes out of the whole hour + we had recorded). Then, on Saturday, when I had attempted to upload it again, my computer froze so i manually shut it off but made the rookie mistake of leaving the external hd in, where the project is saved. I had been trying to access my files in my external hd but to no avail SO i had to re-edit this episode from scratch. Thanks for being so patient, this one is for sure worth it! In Episode VII, I sit down with my good friend, Edwin Carranza to talk about his musical career, music directing some of today's top Pop artists, and his recent engagement! Edwin has played/MD'ed for Camila Cabello, NeYo, Tori Kelly, Jessie J, Miguel, Mana, Kenny Lattimore, Alicia Keys, and many more others. 

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Gear used:

Macbook Pro (Early 2015): https://amzn.to/3ea8DCI

RØDE Procaster Microphones: https://amzn.to/2TtHeDG

RØDE Pop Filter: https://amzn.to/36lSFm2

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FOLLOW EDWIN: http://instagram.com/edwinjcarranza

FOLLOW ME: http://www.instagram.com/sir_kevinchong

WEBSITE: http://www.sirkevinchong.com