Badge
BADGE HAS BEEN EVOLVING OVER THE
LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND HAS MATURED INTO A FINELY TUNED ROCKING MACHINE. COMPRISED OF 5 MEMBERS: LEAD GUITAR, BASS, DRUMS,
KEYBOARDS, LEAD SINGER.
ITS FOCUS IS TO DELIGHT IN THE COMMON BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP AND COMMRADERY, AND OF COURSE
MUSIC, WHICH TRANSLATES INTO THE PERFECT FORMULA FOR SUCCESS. WHETHER IT'S A PRACTICE SESSION, A PARTY FOR FEW OR FOR THOUSANDS,
BADGE ALWAYS PLAYS "ALL OUT, BALLS TO THE WALL" AND NEVER DISAPPOINTS. THEIR OVERALL STYLE: RECKLESS BRILLIANCE.
PART OF BADGE'S MUSICAL PHILOSOPHY IS THAT THEY ARE MORE INTERESTED IN THE OVERALL DYNAMICS THAN IN ACHIEVING AN "EVELATOR"
STYLE PERFECT MIX.
YOU CAN EXPECT HIGHS, LOWS, GOOSEBUMPS, AND A ROLLER-COASTER RIDE OF EMOTIONS. RICK
FRAGA -LEAD GUITAR- ASIDE FROM BEING A PHYSICIAN BY TRADE, THE "RICKER RICKER RICKER BOY" HAS ALWAYS BEEN ENAMORED
BY MUSIC. HE IS A VERY BIG FAN OF ERIC CLAPTON AND HAS EVEN FOLLOWED CLAPTON AS HE TOURED THE WORLD EXTENSIVELY. HIS STYLE
CAN BE CHARACTERIZED AS A COMBINATION OF PASSION AND SHOWMANSHIP BUT NOT IN THE TYPICAL MANNER. RICK FORGOES THE EXAGGERATED
BODY GESTURES, RIDICULOUS OUTFITS, AND LETS HIS GUITAR SPEAK FOR HIM. IF YOU'RE THERE TO BE IMPRESSED BY THE PURITY OF HIS
SOUND AND THE MUSIC.
YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. FRED STEINBERG -KEYBOARDS/VOCALS- ALSO A PHYSICIAN
BY TRADE, FRED HAS HAD A LOVE AFFAIR WITH MUSIC EVER SINCE HE CAN REMEMBER. ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF BADGE, HE HAS ALSO
PLAYED IN SEVERAL OTHER MIAMI COVER BANDS. HIS DEVOTION IS EVIDENT THE SECOND HIS FINGERS TOUCH THE KEYBOARD. HIS VOCALS ARE
ALL OUT, KNOCK-DOWN BRAWLS, AND HE NEVER MISSES AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE 100%. DR. LOVE, AS HE IS AFFECTIONALLY KNOWN BY HIS
BANDMATES AND FANS, POUNDS ON THOSE KEYS AND WILL DEFINTETLY PULL ON YOUR HEART STRINGS. HIS MUSCIAL INFLUENCES INCLUDE STEVIE
WINDWOOD, BILLY PRESTON, LEON RUSSELL, DR. JOHN, LONNIE JOHNSON, ELTON JOHN AND BILLY JOEL AND JUST ABOUT ANYONE ELSE WHO
HAS EVER TOUCHED THE KEYBOARDS.
JOE BARRERA -BASS/VOCALS- JOE IS AN OUTSTANDING BASS PLAYER AND MODELS HIMSELF AFTER
THE SOME OF THE GREATS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO JACK BRUCE, NATHAN EAST. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR OTHER BAND MEMBERS TO
LOOK AT HIM IN AWE DURING ONE OF THE PERFORMANCES, REALIZING THE RIFFS HE IS PLAYING ARE JUST BEYOND COMPREHENSION. JOE NOT
ONLY HAS A TREMENDOUS EAR FOR MUSIC BUT LOVES COMPLICATED ARRANGMENTS SUCH AS THE MUSIC FROM RUSH, QUEEN. AND FOR ALL INTENSE
AND PURPOSES, HE IS THE BAND'S MUSICAL DIRECTOR. HIS VOCALS ARE ALSO DELIGHTFUL AND HE POSSESS A VERY BROAD RANGE WHICH ALLOWS
HIM TO DO FALSETO AND BARRITONE WITH EASE. BECAUSE OF HIS TALENTED EAR, HE HANDLES THE MIX, AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING
THE BAND SOUND BETTER THAN ITS TALENT ALONE CAN RELAY.
ANGEL URQUIA -DRUMS- ANGEL IS QUITE POSSIBLY ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING
DRUMMERS ON THE PLANET. IT IS VERY CUSTOMARY TO THINK YOU'RE LISTENING TO A RECORD, WHEN IN FACT, IT'S THE "HIALEAH SLEDGEHAMMER"
THAT'S CAPTIVATING YOUR ATTENTION AND EARDRUMS. A FORCE OF NATURE IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE CONTENDED WITH WHEN THE HAMMER PICKS
UP HIS DRUMSTICKS AND DOES HIS THING. HIS GREATEST MUSICAL INFLUENCE WAS THE GREAT DRUMMER JOHN BONHAM FROM LED Z. ANGEL PLAYS
HIS DRUMS USING THAT SAME STYLE AND CHARACTER WHEN HE PERFORMS. HE TOURED WITH TIMMY THOMAS BAND FOR MULTIPLE YEARS AND IS
VERY WELL KNOWN AND RESPECTED IN THE MIAMI AREA BY OTHER MUSICIANS. HE HAS EARNED THE ADMIRATION AND RESPECT OF HIS FELLOW
MUSICIANS AND IN FACT, ANGEL, JOE AND RICK PLAYED IN THE LOCAL MIAMI GROUP VINTAGE OVER 20 YEARS AGO.
MABEL ORTEGA -LEAD VOCALS- MABEL
"LA CHILINDRINA" AS SHE IS AFFECTIONATELY CALLED BY HER BANDMATES IS A COMBINATION OF SOUL/POP/ROCK/JAZZ AND HAS
BEEN HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE LIKES OF HEART, PAT BENETAR, BARBARA STRIESAND, DONNA SUMMER, AEROSMITH, LED Z, ROLLING STONES,
GLADYS KNIGHT, BILLIE HOLIDAY, ETC. AND WILL NEVER BACK DOWN FROM A CHALLENGE. SHE LIVES EVERY SONG AND FEELS EVERY EMOTION.
MUSIC HAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE HER CONSTANT COMPANION IN THIS TUMULTUOUS JOURNEY WE CALL LIFE. HAIR RAISING, ELECTRIFYING, ENERGIZING
ARE ALL WORDS THAT CAN BE USED TO DESCRIBE HER VOCALS. NO RAZZLE DAZZLE HERE... JUST PURE ARTISTRY. MABEL HAD A FEW BRUSHES
WITH BEING "ALMOST FAMOUS" AND AFTER RECORDING HOUSE, DANCE, AND FREESTYLE MUSIC SINCE THE MID 80'S, SHE'S VERY
AT HOME WITH BADGE. AFTER MEETING RICK BY ACCIDENT ON A FATEFUL NIGHT SHE WAS IMMEDIATELY RECRUITED INTO THE BAND (KIPNAPPED
IS MORE LIKE IT). THE BAND CONSIDERS HER THE BEST SINGER THEY'VE EVER COME IN CONTACT WITH AS SHE IS FLUENT AND VERY WELL
VERSED IN ANY STYLE OF MUSIC AND IT'S THAT FUSION AND FLEXIBILITY THAT ALLOWS HER TO DANCE AROUND ANY STYLE OF MUSIC EFFORTLESSLY.
BADGE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF
ITS PARTS. VERY FEW OF THE BANDS ON THE MIAMI SCENE HAVE THE SPECIAL SECRET RECIPIE FOR SUCCESS THAT BADGE HAS HIT UPON. ALL
ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIANS IN THEIR OWN RITE, TOGETHER, THEY ARE A NUCLEAR REACTION ... AND WHEN STIRRED TOGETHER: PURE, UNADULTERATED
MUSICAL MAGIC... IF YOU'RE TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS, THEN WE BADGE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST AND WE HUMBLY APPRECIATE
YOUR SUPPORT AS WE ALL FEEL THAT IS WAS DESTINY THAT WE SHOULD ALL COME TOGTHER IN THIS VENTURE. IT WAS A TOTAL FLUKE AND
CHANCE MEETING THAT SET THE WHEELS IN MOTION, AND YET, THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES AND THERE IS A RHYME AND A REASON BEHIND
EVERYTHING IN THIS VAST UNIVERSE.
WE MAY NOT BE THE BEST OR MOST TALENTED BAND YOU'VE HEARD, AND WE'RE PROBABLY ALL
IDIOTS AND HAVE OCD AND GET ON EACH OTHER'S NERVES ONCE IN A WHILE, BUT WHAT WE DO HAVE IS LOVE AND RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER
AND FOR THE MUSIC. WHEN WE PERFORM TOGETHER, IT'S A COSMIC OCCURENCE THAT TEACHES US SOMETHING ABOUT OURSELVES, EACH OTHER,
THE AUDIENCE, AND NOT WEARING MY DAUGHTER'S DRESSES ON STAGE ANYMORE. LOVE IS OUR BADGE. WE HOPE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY THE
ENTERTAIN YOU. LOVE IS OUR BADGE, LOVE TO ALL: RICK, JOE, FRED, ANGEL, AND MABEL .
