Felipe De Aguiar / Vocals, Guitar & MIDI wizardry!!!
Felipe was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His love of music became apparent at an early age and led him to learn the piano and guitar in order to express his creativity. As a teenager he moved to Paris, France to finish school and further his musical ambitions, playing in several different rock bands and touring all over Europe.
Employed by Club Med for 10 years as a bandleader, Felipe had the chance to play in many exotic locations all over the world, incorporating some musical styles of the different cultures he became exposed to, in his own compositions. In 1987 he moved to Southern California where he stayed active in the local music scene until March 1999, when he relocated to Las Vegas.
Mastering the art of MIDI sequencing, Felipe has penned many original songs such as Carnival From Hell and Let It Rain. He is an energetic performer with a very recognizable vocal style and a hard-driving guitar sound that keeps audiences rocking.
Among Felipe‘s many musical influences: The Beatles, Eric Clapton initially and many artists from the 70’s, 80’s and after.
Donna Romeo / Vocals
Donna was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. Her desire to sing and dance landed her a spot in a local original band after high school, and led to another a little while later. She went on to study voice more seriously and then decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue her real dream – to perform and record pop music and try to get a record deal.
Pop music is Donna’s favorite style so it comes from the heart. Her influences include Mariah Carey, Teena Marie, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, and especially Madonna and Sheena Easton in the beginning.
She sang with several Top 40 and original bands throughout Los Angeles, while writing and recording with a few music producers in the 90’s. She then followed her family to Las Vegas, NV and got involved with the local music scene, working as a sub for a band performing at casinos.
After joining FLASHHBAND, she played weddings, private and corporate parties. It turned out to be the perfect fit for Donna to showcase the many types of pop and rock music that she loves.
Mike Flanders / Saxophone, Vocals. & Percussion
Mike‘s philosophy on music is summed up best as: “Music should be fun and we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. Sometimes it’s like Steak and Lobster, sometimes it’s Dunkin Donuts, but what’s important is connecting with the audience and enjoying each other.” He continues, “As musicians, we and the audience have to be in it together, otherwise, we may as well stay home and play in our garages.” Mike should know. As a multi-talented instrumentalist and vocalist who first appeared with FLASHHBAND in 1994, he’s been delighting audiences since the age of 16. Saxophone is his main instrument, but he also plays flute, keyboards, sings in multiple languages, and is an accomplished latin percussionist. His rich array of talent makes him a much sought after musician on the music stage and in the recording studio.
Mike is comfortable performing many genres of music including Jazz, Rock, Country, Blues, R&B, and Latin & Salsa. From one song to the next, Mike‘s saxophone style can shift easily from a rich, velvety, sexy, tone to one that is gritty and in-your-face. His favorite style is “the one I’m playing at the moment” and says his goal is just to “make the audience feel something and have a good time while they’re doing it.”
Before joining FLASHHBAND, Mike was a veteran of many popular San Diego area bands including: The OSM Band, Ambience, Trio San Diego, California Blues Patrol, Knockout Gumbo, Nu-Vision Band, Koko Beach Band and the award winning groups Trade Secret, Hut-Sut-Ralston and Midnight Delight. He has appeared on stage and the air waves thoughout the United States and other countries.
His influences are numerous and diverse and include: King Curtis, Maceo Parker, David Sanborn, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor, Rickie Lee Jones, Sting, Jason Mraz, Steve Winwood, Ray Charles, as well as international groups like Mana, Malpais, Gipsy Kings, VoXXclub, Die Toten Hosen, and many more.
Mike is also a very talented graphic designer and created the cover art for the “Carnival From Hell” CD, on which he is featured playing the saxophone and singing background vocals.
No, he does not like Kenny G.
Frank Garces / Drums & Percussion
Frank was born in Simi Valley and raised in Pacoima, CA. Drums and percussion have been his passion since he was a little boy. As an accomplished drummer and percussionist, Frank played in several different bands over the years, opened for the famous band Los Lobos and performed with the original band member who recruited the late Ritchie Valens. He was involved with a Santana tribute band (sometimes we call him Carlos!) and was a drummer for the Octane Blues Band. Frank recently joined FLASHHBAND and the band took on a brand new dimension, thanks to his boundless energy, stage presence and enthusiasm!