Walter Afanasieff

Producer Walter Afanasieff's records sparkle with the gleam of a newly polished chrome bumper. Working with middle-of-the-road pop artists such as Kenny G, Michael Bolton and, most notably, Mariah Carey, the Brazilian-born Afanasieff is known for his autocratic style of creating records; that is, he generally writes, arranges and records the basic tracks. The strategy has worked because of Afanasieff's client base--namely gifted singers who aren't generally known for generating their own material. One such artist has been Celine Dion, whose epic ballad from the Titanic soundtrack, "My Heart Will Go On," was a classic example of the tightly arranged, pristine pop that Afanasieff is capeable of. Though they've since had a falling out, the producer first learned his craft at the heels of another talented svengali, Narada Michael Walden, with whom Afanasieff played keyboards during the '80s. Walden's successes with Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin taught Afanasieff the ropes of pop production and he acknowledges the deep debt owed. Afanasieff continues to deliver chart topping product, most recently with Mariah Carey's "Butterfly." ~ Steve Kurutz