Angel Meléndez is a Puerto Rican-born musician, composer, arranger, and bandleader based in Chicago, Illinois. Throughout his career, he has worked as an arranger and musical director for various salsa artists, directing ensembles that play a range of Latin music spanning modern tropical styles, traditional 1950s mambo, salsa, and Latin jazz.
Meléndez is widely recognized as the leader of Angel Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra. The Chicago-based ensemble gained national attention in 2005 when their debut album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album. In addition to his original arrangements, his bands perform the music of legendary artists such as Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Rodríguez, and Pérez Prado.
In 2021, Meléndez released the album "Angel Meléndez X Big Band Máquina," showcasing his continued work in the salsa, mambo, latin jazz, and timba genres.
