dré elijah y las estrellas

dré elijah y las estrellas fuses original compositions with melodic horn lines, danceable rhythms, and hooks that get the audience on their feet and singing.

Lineup: Andrès Dankel, keys and vocals; Davasaté Phelps, keys and vocals; Robert Rodriguez, bass; Dakarai Dove, drums; Andrew Dankel-Ibanez, trumpet; Adriana Wagner, trombone.

Vibe: danceable, cinematic, compassionate, intersectional

Andrés Dankel is a multi-instrumentalist performer/composer from Walla Walla, Washington, currently based in Los Angeles, California. Under the stage name, dré elijah, he released his debut EP, “escuchando las estrellas,” recorded in his second hometown, Portland, at Page St. Sound Lab. Attending his first two years of undergrad at the University of Portland, he performed with various groups including the Earl Gracious band, Dina y Los Rumberos, and the historic Pura Vida Orquesta. He attributes much of his musical influence to his Guatemalan, Colombian, and Pacific Northwest family roots, which were cultivated over four generations of musicians. Born deaf in one ear, he places an emphasis on the vibration and rhythm his sounds create, and is known for dancing on stage to his original Latiné rhythms, fused with groove-based Hip Hop and R&B.

This project brings together some of dré elijah’s favorite PNW musicians from his years of performing and listening to his bandmates, whom he calls his stars, who energize crowds (escuchando las estrellas). It is influenced by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Hector Lavoe, and A Tribe Called Quest; the lush chords, driven by deep rhythms, provide the foundation of dré’s music.