Freddie Ravel is an American keyboardist, keynote speaker, author, composer, and recording artist. He served as the musical director of the band Earth, Wind & Fire and has worked with artists including Sergio Mendes, Carlos Santana, Madonna, and Al Jarreau.
Background and Education
Ravel was born and raised in Los Angeles to a Ukrainian-German-Polish father and a Colombian mother. He began playing the accordion at age seven and later learned drums, guitar, and piano. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Music, graduating cum laude from California State University.
Career
Ravel began performing internationally at age 23 with Brazilian icon Sergio Mendes and was later signed by Universal Records. He released three solo studio albums: Midnight Passion (1991), Sol to Soul (1995), and Freddie Ravel (2000).
In 1988, Ravel became the musical director for Indian violinist L. Subramaniam. He joined Earth, Wind & Fire in 1992 as the band's musical director and played on their 1993 album Millennium, which was certified Gold in Japan. He also appeared on Flora Purim's 1994 album Speed of Light.
After four years with Earth, Wind & Fire, Ravel performed with Madonna on the soundtrack of the 1996 film Evita. He played on Peter White's 1997 album Songs of the Season and became Al Jarreau's musical director in 1998. He produced Jarreau's 2000 album Tomorrow Today, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. Ravel later performed and co-wrote on Jarreau's 2002 album All I Got and played on Earth, Wind & Fire's 2003 album The Promise. He co-composed the track "Givin' It Up" from the double Grammy Award-winning 2006 album by Al Jarreau and George Benson.
Alongside Maya Angelou, Muhammad Ali, Deepak Chopra, and Stevie Wonder, Ravel co-wrote the 2017 book Open My Eyes, Open My Soul, at the invitation of Yolanda King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s eldest daughter.
Recognition
On November 17, 2012, Ravel was officially knighted by the Knights of St. John. He was later dubbed a "Keynote Maestro" by the City of Los Angeles for "renewing the national and international economy" through his Life In Tune system.
Discography
Solo studio albums:
- Midnight Passion (1991)
- Sol to Soul (1995)
- Sol to Soul (DTS 5.1 Surround) (1997)
- Freddie Ravel (2000)
- If Music Could Speak (2014)
Film and Television
Ravel has contributed to several film and television projects, including the documentary Robert Mitchum: Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast (2018), Mississippi Masala (1991), and Madonna's Evita (1996).
