Angel Wagner, musical director of Grupo Fantasia and master percussionist, plays more than 30 instruments. Angel has studied at the Harbor Arts Academy in New York and at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Currently, Angel is a percussion tutor, director of the Wagner Multicultural Workshop and percussionist in his band Grupo Fantasia.
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Angel began his career playing with a cheese grater and fork! At age eleven, Angel went on professional tour with a Merengue band, later performing in Miami and at Madison Square Garden in New York. Angel has performed with such groups as "Aramis Camilo", "Orquestra Cafe", "Luis Ovalles" and "Manguito".
Angel formed Grupo Fantasia in 1993, with musicians from all around the world. Over the years, Fantasia has performed at the "Calle Ocho" festival in Miami, as well as touring extensively throughout the Northeast. His performances include a multitude of schools, universities, colleges, fundraisers, private functions and musical extravaganzas, affording him to team up with the most exclusive event coordinators and party planners in New England.
Angel Wagner provides traditional island entertainment for all people and much of the music is performed on original, handmade indigenous instruments. The extensive repertoire includes original and cover songs from the Caribbean and Latin America. Also represented are various Cuban, Dominican Merengue, Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena, Colombian Cumbia, Mexican Mariachi, Calypso, Reggae and Salsa music.
Some of Angel's performance venues have included, The Lowell Folk Life Center, Museum of Fine Arts, The Concord Museum, The Museum of Science, The De Cordova Museum, Castle Hill and the Boston Children's Museum. In July of 1996 he performed on the State House steps for the passing of the Olympic Torch in Providence, Rhode Island. Angel was honored on two occasions in 1998 by performing for President Clinton and Mrs. Clinton. Angel and Grupo Fantasia have performed for the Tall Ships Boston 2000 and for the January 2003 Inauguration Gala of Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at the World Trade Center. On October 2005, at World Trade Center, he opened up for The Counting Crows and
in 1998 at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, he opened up for Marc Anthony.
Fantasia has won many awards in Latin categories, including Boston's prestigious 1993 Expose Award for BEST SPANISH BAND (1993), runner up in the Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce Award for Education (1999) and The 2003 Boston Music Award Nominee for BEST WORLD CLASS ACT. Angel has filmed television programs including: "Pachanga Latina" for WUNI 27, PBS programs and "Mosaic" for WLVI TV 56 in Boston. Film credits include "THE BLUE DINER" (2001). Fantasia regularly performs at such Boston clubs as Avalon, Europa, The Roxy, Destinations and The Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center.
Angel's love for fine dining mixed with his adoration of great music has led him to perform for many celebrity chefs and their restaurants. Just some of the literally hundreds, include "The Naked Fish", "Acapulco's", "The Bay Tower Room", "Sombreros", "The Madfish Grille", "The Fireplace", "The Cottonwood Cafe", "The Cactus Club", "Locke-ober's", "Division 16" and "Stephanie's on Newbury".
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