Amanecer is Latin pop at its very finest and most refined. This is no surprise, coming from one of the genre's MVPs, having served as both writer and vocalist for some of the industry's biggest hits for over a dozen years. Jon Secada transitions freely from the English-speaking world of adult contemporary to the Spanish-speaking Latin pop charts. This record, however, is sure to delight pop lovers from both sides of the language barrier. With both experience and education (B.A. and M.A. in jazz vocal performance from the University of Miami) in the pop/jazz realm, Jon certainly lacks the telltale vocal inflection and ornamentation that is characteristic of Cuban singers. But Amanecer never attempts nor pretends to be a salsa record. Instead, Jon croons and woos the listener with his cognac-smooth phrasing and lush string rich arrangements. Even the dance tracks present, fun though they are, are very Anglo-friendly, downbeat-oriented, and lacking swing. This pop masterpiece bears the Miami/Estefan mark and all the epic glory and shine that comes with that name. Like so many previous Secada releases, Amanecer aims to be a crowd-pleaser on a grand scale and, like all that came before, is sure to achieve its goal. Secada was born to chart and lives his birthright to the fullest with Amanecer. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide
Roger Gonzalez (Mixing), Marco Campos (Clarinet), Ricardo Gaitán (Vocal Conductor), Jon Secada (Coros), Bob Ludwig (Mastering), Emilio Estefan, Jr. (Producer), Tim Barnes (Viola), Jeffrey Meyer (French Horn), Leonid Sigal (Violin), Mario Vergel (Vestuario), Leyla Leeming (Production Coordination), Archie Pena (Percussion), Ricardo Gaitán (Coros), Archie Pena (Producer), José Antonio Molina (String Arrangements), Andres Castro (Guitar), Joan Faigen (Violin), Dana Teboe (Trombone), Ricardo Gaitán (Programming), Okil "Fito" Medrano (Conga), Sal Cuevas (Bajo Sexto), John Kricker (Trombone), Claudio Jaffe (Cello), Emilio Estefan, Jr. (A&R), Gerry Miller (Violin), Huifang Chen (Violin), Ricardo Gaitán (Arranger), José Antonio Molina (Producer), Manny López (Guitar), Geoffrey Bowater (Double Bass), Gary Mayone (Percussion Assistant), Scott Canto (Engineer), Archie Pena (Bongos), Tony Mardini (Assistant Engineer), José Manuel Bravo (Photo Assistance), Eugenio Vanderhorst (Calligraphy), Vicky Echeverri (Coros), Steve Svensson (Viola), Richard Bravo (Percussion), Archie Pena (Arranger), Roger Gonzalez (Recording), Lee Levin (Bateria), Pedro Alfonso (Violin), Bruce Wethey (Violin), Andrew Melick (Photography), Ricardo Gaitán (Keyboards), Luciano Magnannini (Fagotes), David Cole (Cello), Nicolas Tovar (Coros), Andy Pechenik (Technical Support), Alfred Figueroa (Engineer), Denise Stillwell (Violin), Rita Quintero (Coros), Yein Hung (Violin), Steve Menezes (Studio Coordinator), Carole Cole (Violin), Ed Calle (Saxophone), John DiPuccio (Violin), Leo Quintero (Guitar), Karen Dixon (Flute), Archie Pena (Guitar), Keith Aleo (Percussion Assistant), Kevin Dillon (Production Coordination), Ken Theis (Assistant Engineer), Mike Couzzi (Assistant Engineer), José Antonio Molina (Arranger), Alberto Gaitán (Producer), Ricardo Gaitán (Drum Programming), David Pharris (Clarinet), Michael Levine (Keyboards), Marcelo Añez (Assistant Engineer), Herman "Teddy" Mulet (Trumpet), Kurt Berge (Technical Support), Herman "Teddy" Mulet (Keyboards), Ross Harbaugh (Cello), Roger Gonzalez (Assistant Engineer), Mei Mei Luo (Violin), Orlando J. Forte (Violin), Julio Hernandez (Bajo Sexto), Franklin Guzman (Guira), Jorge Gonzalez (Assistant Engineer), Michael Degregorio (Fagotes), Herman "Teddy" Mulet (Metales), Archie Pena (Cuatro), Alberto Gaitán (Arranger), Joe Barati (Trombone), Michael Levine (Piano), Manny López (Requinto), Erika Venable (Violin), Glen Basham (Violin), Leo Quintero (Guitar (Acoustic)), Alberto Carballo (Art Direction), Alberto Gaitán (Programming), Ricardo Gaitán (Producer), Gennady Aronin (Violin), Lena Pérez (Coros), Jon Secada (Producer), Jeff Kaye (Trumpet), Alfredo Oliva (Concert Comedienne), Cheito Quinonez (Coros), Joel Numa (Engineer), Robert Weiner (Oboe), Alberto Gaitán (Coros), Rafael Elvira (Violin), Alberto Gaitán (Keyboards), Herman "Teddy" Mulet (Cuatro), Alberto Gaitán (Vocal Conductor), Yang Xi (Viola), Archie Pena (Surdo), Jeanne Tarrant (Flute), Archie Pena (Programming), Tony Mardini (Engineer), Dan Warner (Guitar), Freddy Piñero, Jr. (Assistant Engineer), Alberto Carballo (Design), Alberto Gaitán (Drum Programming), Debra Spring (Viola), Scott ODonnell (Viola), Herman "Teddy" Mulet (Trombone), Archie Pena (Bateria), Osvaldo Ayala (Accordion), John David Smith (French Horn), Deena Shapiro (Viola), Javier Garza (Engineer), Chris Glansdorp (Cello), Gustavo Correa (Violin), Susan Moyer (Cello), Doug Emery (Keyboards), Rochelle Skolnick (Violin), Scott Flavin (Violin)
