Coati Mundi

Coati Mundi is the stage name of Andy Hernandez, vibraphone player and member of Kid Creole and the Coconuts as well as Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band. He scored the Top 40 UK hit "Me No Pop I" in 1981, just before the release of Tropical Gangsters. He produced and arranged an album by "Don Armando Second Avenue Rhumba Band", which spurned the disco hit song "Deputy of Love".

Early life

Hernandez grew up in Spanish Harlem, NYC. As a young teenager, the first band he played and recorded with was called Eddie Hernandez & his Orchestra.

Career

Mundi has worked with assorted musical groups and artists including Ralfi Pagan, Joe Bataan, Vernon Reid, N'Dea Davenport, Nona Hendryx, Tito Puente, Manny Oquendo & Conjunto Libre, Hall & Oates and Machito.

He was known as Sugarcoated Andy while in Dr. Buzzard's band and played vibes, marimba and percussion for them. Credits Stony Browder, August Darnell and Cory Daye of Dr.Buzzard's band as major influences.

In 1979, he helped create along with Adriana Kaegi the "Kid Creole and The Coconuts" band. Andy was the musical director and arranger for the Coconuts band until his departure in 1989.

Mundi is a self-taught musician. Main instrument is the vibraphone but also plays piano, percussion, flute and is a music arranger/composer.

In an interview, he once said: "I have never let the lack of talent stop me from doing anything". He cited an example of this regarding the "Gichy Dan and Beachwood 9" record produced by August Darnell. He was being interviewed for the job of arranger-orchestrator by the Head of A&R at RCA records. Andy was asked if he knew how to arrange for strings. He said without hesitation "Of course". Andy convinced RCA Records to give him the job. In actuality, he did not know a thing about string arrangements. Immediately after the interview, he bought a book on arranging for strings and woodshedded day and night. What resulted was a successful arrangement job. He even received a wonderful compliment from the great violinist Harry Lookofsky who served as concertmaster on the date.

In 1983, he released a solo album titled Little Coati Mundi The Former 12 Year Old Genius. Mundi composed, produced and provided the lead vocals. It contained a version of Captain Beefheart's "Tropical Hot Dog Night" featuring salsa singer Rubén Blades. The album also featured former Kid Creole & The Coconut singer Lori Eastside.

Coati Mundi appeared as an actor in the film Who's That Girl starring Madonna and Griffin Dunne. He wrote and performed a song for the soundtrack album called: "El Coco Loco". Mundi has acted in several Spike Lee films, including Mo Better Blues, He Got Game and Girl 6. He can also be seen in the film We Own the Night.

He is credited as one of the music supervisors for the Miramax film 54 and as producer of several of the film's songs. Mundi has composed music for various films, including Spike of Bensonhurst.

Coati Mundi is the composer and sound designer for a series of educational DVD's for children produced by Karyn Parsons (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air).

External links

• Coati Mundi MySpace
• Dr.Buzzard's Original Savannah Band MySpace
• IMDB