Gaining the respect from the instructors, who admired her diligence, she was often allowed to participate in class like the students who were fully enrolled.
In 2002, Añel recorded Hi-Octane Coffee, which was produced by J.B. Moore and featured Drew Zingg (Steely Dan, Alana Davis, Gladys Knight), Frank Vilardi (Donny Osmond, Jill Sobule, The Bacon Brothers), Seth Glassman (James Brown, Paul McCartney, Maceo Parker, Carol King) and Johnny Gale (co-producer Ryan Shaw "This is Ryan Shaw").
This union provided the opportunity for Añel's songs to shine, showcasing her music in all its diversity, from the funk of "The Way Out" to the Americana-Country tinged "Nothing in Common" to the folk-acoustic guitar-vocal "Zora".
Hi-Octane Coffee received excellent press, continuing to raise Añel's profile within the industry.
On her fifth release, Every Second In Between (Wall-I Records), Añel wanted to continue depicting her love of songwriting, singing and interpretation, but at a whole new level.
The songs' landscapes accurately capture Añel, bringing her voice to the forefront, from the classically tinged Voyager, with its string quartet and Añel's voice, alone and in chorus, to her cover of Nina Simone's That's All I Want From You, and the Latin flavored Supposed To Be, the album's first single, a song of empowerment with the storyteller's refusal to give up sense of self.