Pop Xmas

The goal of this album is to bring out the joy of the holiday season with some well-known pop Christmas tunes and other soothing beautiful melodies. Growing-up in a musical family, Leonel Lorador started playing guitar as a young boy emulating his Portuguese father and influenced by his Spanish mother's love of song. Leonel is from southern Portugal, a beach and river town close to the Spanish border. Because of the proximity and the family connection to Spain, it's easy to understand how Leonel was inspired by the music of Andalusia. In his teens, he studied at the Conservatory of the Algarve while performing with South Wave, a hard rock band, which toured as a warm up band for the British Rhythm & Blues band, Dr.Feelgood. During his service in the army, Leonel's duty was spent as a member of the Army Big Band, OLE, Orquestra Ligeira do Exército playing guitar and electric bass. At this time he continues his studies at the Lisbon National Conservatory of Music. At the age of 23, Leonel immigrated to the US and studied classical guitar with Ana Maria Rosado and Jazz guitar with Vic Juris. Just as Leonel took his first musical journey from the Algarve of Portugal to Andalusia, Spain, his passion for world music has grown to include the music of Spanish Latin America; Brazil and Afro-Cuban Rhythms. Another musical interest of his is Progressive Rock. At present, he is a freelance guitarist and composer; performing as a recording session musician and a freelance guitarist in the New York metropolitan area. Keywords: Christmas, Holiday Season, Guitar, Xmas, Merry, Music, Joy.