The Amazing Walter Afanasieff

Walter Afanasieff was born Vladimir Nikitich Afanasev in São Paulo, SP, Brazil to parents Nikita and Tatiana. His family is from Russia and moved to Brazil in the late 1940s. Afanasieff studied music at the Conservatory of Music in San Mateo, California. Together with his musical mentor (production-wise), 80s top-producer Narada Michael Walden,

Walter is a Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter who started out as Whitney Houston's arranger, but rose to success co-writing and co-producing music with Mariah Carey.

He has also written and produced music for many famous singers such as Regina Belle, Lionel Richie, Luther Vandross, Céline Dion, Savage Garden, Destiny's Child, Kenny G, Michael Bolton, Kenny Loggins, Barbra Streisand, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Babyface, Lara Fabian, Michael Jackson, Josh Groban, Clay Aiken, Jordin Sparks, Leona Lewis, and many more.

Afanasieff is a multi-instrumentalist; he plays drums, guitar, bass, and piano. He performs on most of his recordings (mainly keyboards, organ, piano, bass and drum-programming). In the large-scale arrangement he is known for producing, Afanasieff has worked with many well-known musicians and mixing engineers like Michael Landau (guitars), Nathan East (bass), Dann Huff (guitars), Mick Guzauski (mixing engineer), Greg Phillinganes (piano), and William Ross (string/orchestra arranger and conductor). The main productions took place at Afanasieff's own recording studios (Wally World) in San Rafael, California where he recorded mainly in digital.

Afanasieff spent the vast majority of his career creating music with Mariah Carey whom, he considered to be the exceptional voice, his muse. He traveled and toured with her, playing piano live. He appeared in Carey's home videos talking about their creative process. During 1997's Butterfly album, Afanasieff and Carey reportedly had creative differences and were falling out. They have not worked together since, although on 2001's Glitter, Carey released one of the songs the pair had co-written during the Butterfly sessions, Lead the Way. After Carey's breakdown, E! Entertainment interviewed Afanasieff, who spoke highly of Carey, noting her hard work ethic and musical talent. It is reported that Afanasieff will be one of the producers of Carey's upcoming album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel and will be Carey's collaborator again.

Beneath the senior portrait in his high school yearbook, Afanasieff wrote that his goal was to "write and play better than Keith Emerson" of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Walter Afanasieff currently resides in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California with his girlfriend Katie Cazorla. He also has three children: Andrei, Isabella, and Christina.

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[ynnhojhairam]

LOVE TAKES TIME was walters FIRST #1 achievement As Producer In Charge.. It Was Like He Arrived Along with mariah (:

[gizmo4eva]

I think a music making partnership as great as Afanasieff and Carey is Madonna and Patrick Leonard. I think Afanasieff and Leonard are pretty much gimmick free, classically trained melodists who do that timeless LA, adult contemporary ballad and pop style at their best with those respective longterm artists. Afanasieff seems to engage lyrical depth from Mariah as does Leonard with Madonna. No flash to the productions, just great songwriting and melodies. Pop at it's best, in my opinion.

[ynnhojhairam]

Great comment's I enjoy both M's wish their fans would not argue and fight...

fave Mc song.. love takes time

fave Md song.. the power of goodbye

[beatmania3rdmix]

You're missing some songs. "Close My Eyes" - Mariah Carey and "Stay the Same" - Joey McIntyre are a few I can think of.

[ynnhojhairam]

I Can't Put Them All LOL =)

Wish I Could =(

I Have A walter Part 2...

[jlenoconel]

I can't understand why Mariah isn't working with Walter A now. She was so much better when she worked with him.

[achimon82]

There will never be another Mariah and another Walter for a very very long time! This pair was made in heaven!

[tall32guy]

Just another VERY talented musician of Russian ancestry. :)

[plmbeauty]

He's amazing I love his work thank you for this :-)

[chr1976is]

Great collection of walter's fantastic talent,so sad that the great help he gave mariah has not been recognised by her since..he was massive in her development as an artist..thank you for the video and thank you Walter :-)

[apexbosch]

i simly love him...

[velocity246]

The Walter/Mariah combo made some GREAT music!

[jak7f22]

i love his music! i think mariah is simply crazy, totally out of head because she don't work with him since lead the way.

[rearea718]

@jlenoconel wikipedia says he is a producers for her upcoming christmas album. hope its true. you know its going to be good!

[lalettre79]

Walter please re work with Mariah!!!

Mariah don't forget that most of your beautiful songs was co written with Walter!!

I've read that Walter and MAriah disagree when she went Hip-hop on Butterfly !!!Is that true?

I've also learned that lead the way was supposed to be on Butterfly

:)

[pieceofbritnald]

MARIAH AND WALTER MAKES THE BEST MUSICS EVER