Music Nation is a Music Video Competition for Independent Artists

Armando Peralta When singer/songwriter Armando Peralta Este Fuego (This Fire) working with a white-hot and stellar assembly of musicians out of the pop, Latin and Jazz worlds Bruce Swedien and Quincy Jones calls Armando's song "Maria" a masterpiece. Bruce Swedien-Grammy-winning producer also for Quincy Jones and most recently Jennifer Lopez-was so impressed with Armando's album that two became close friends. Swedien is very keen to work with Armando's next album project . Armando's new album "Volver a Sentir" due out September 2008 and the International Album "Silence" - is due out February 2009. Armando Peralta Este Fuego took five years to compose, arrange and PR-produce in San Juan, Puerto Rico-Armando's home at that time for eleven years. Armando was good friends with the sizzling drummer Omar Hakim - they hung out at Armando's rain forest home exchanging stories and riffs. Hakim appeared as a driving force for the uniquely crafted rhythms on the album. Giovanni Hidalgo, the number one conga player in the world, joined in as friend and performer. Steve Porcaro from Toto-one of Armando's favorites bands as a singer/guitarist in high school rock bands-played on the CD.s Jump to Spring, 2008, in a recording studio westport ct. Armando is remixing the tracks from his first album and adding in new compositions to create a full compliment of twelve tracks. He is releasing the new production under the title, "Volver a Sentir," meaning "to feel again." Armando defines it as an album that speaks to a healing process of learning to deeply feel, both as individuals and as communities. He is back with all his old friends and musician demigods from the first incarnation of the sound that generated a wave of critical acclaim and fans in the pop and Latin crossover markets. Armando is finishing "Volver a Sentir" in Fall 2008 under his own label World Pulse Music, and is already booked with his group into several Manhattan hot spots for the Fall . Like his fusion of pop, Latin and jazz music, Armando carries a remarkable heritage that blends his father's Argentine (grandfather was from Spain) blood and his mother's aristocratic Russian blood from the Carpathian mountain region of Russia. But the most pronounced, and famous, musical heritage in Armando's background comes out of the coal-mining mountains of Pennsylvania. Outside of music, Armando's most philosophic interest is his philanthropic projects to help the orphans of Russia. "I am organizing a project with various Russian relief agencies, a UN connection, two archbishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, and several of the Russian aristocracy living in the US to raise funds for Russian orphans. Armando is also the custodian and agent for Russian composer Rachmaninoff's piano. Armando has permission to use the piano for benefit concerts to raise funds for orphan programs.