Today we’d like to introduce you to Yojari Travanino.
Hi Yojari, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I’m a first-generation American who was born and raised in Miami FL by two Guatemalan immigrants. Before taking the local music scene by storm as a DJ and event producer, I spent most of my youth as an introverted nerd who used music as a tool to help me get through life. I never saw myself becoming a DJ or even being a part of any music/creative scene until recently.
Being a first-generation American, my parents made it very clear that my priority in life was to study hard so I could achieve the “American Dream” for myself. The desire to make my parents proud pushed me to become a very academic and career-focused person. Unfortunately, this lead me to burn out at a very young age and I struggled to view myself as a creative person outside of school or work.
Throughout all of this personal turmoil, music was the one thing that always kept me feeling grounded. I loved curating unique playlists for all my different moods, activities, and people in my life. Concerts and music festivals were always a priority for me and I strived to be the friend that shared cool new music with everyone. In hindsight, the signs were always there but I never viewed these hobbies as a potential career until my actual job let me go at the beginning of the covid pandemic.
The 2020 covid-19 lockdown was a transformative period for me, “the great reset” gave me all the time I needed to question the societal norms and career goals I was mindlessly following. I started a spiritual/healing journey that helped me unlearn a lot of toxic beliefs and as a result, I finally realized that my lifelong passion for music was a valid form of creativity and that I should explore that side of myself more.
I started recording mixes in my bedroom and vulnerably shared my creative journey online with friends. Within a couple of months of posting mixes and building a following online, I had my first DJ gig at a local bar downtown. Shortly after my debut at the beginning of 2021, the creative community in Miami took me in with open arms and kept providing opportunities that allowed me to grow at a rate beyond my belief.
I started getting consistent gigs with other local bars, music festivals like Wynwood Pride, and underground/DIY raves. Now that I’ve been on the scene for close to two years, I’ve started organizing my events to help other creatives get their name on the map and experience getting paid a livable wage for their art.
Living in a city like Miami where the cost of living is insane, I try to uplift marginalized folk by creating paid opportunities for talented creatives regardless of their experience level/race/network. My long-term goal with event production is to bring the community together on the dance floor and beyond by incorporating mutual aid/fundraising events.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I am lucky to say that I was able to see the fruits of my labor rather quickly because I am a huge believer in setting intentions and living authentically to manifest the future you want. Although I was able to manifest my dreams pretty fast, I did a lot of inner healing and dealt with a lot of challenging work behind the scenes to be able to receive the blessings I was given.
There were a lot of obstacles at hand, such as starting a job in the party/entertainment industry during a global pandemic and having my rent double in price as soon as I became an independent contractor. Being a freelance artist meant no consistent stream of income so I had to hustle non-stop in the early stages to get gigs and pay my bills.
There were challenging times when I had no money to do anything but quitting wasn’t an option because I knew I was just getting started and I saw the potential if I just kept at it. These humbling moments helped define who I am, why I’m doing this, and what my goals are with this journey.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I feel like I thoroughly answered this in a previous question! But here is some additional info. I initially was known for being a DJ but I am now getting more recognition for the event I organize.
I have a Rolodex of parties: “Perreo Del Futuro” – a queer Latinx party series that highlights the diverse sounds of the global underground with extravagant drag performances, “Seance” – a witch house rave that invites the darkest of party-goers, and “BREAKCORE” – a high energy party for those who love drum and bass, jungle, breakbeats, and hardcore.
What sets me apart from other event producers is that I prioritize booking people who typically don’t get opportunities to do what they love and get paid fairly for it. I like to program eclectic lineups of underground artists for themed parties that are unique to the scene.
How do you define success?
To me, success is defined by being able to freely do what you love and feel fulfilled while you do it. I think of success as being able to have fun pursuing my passions while not compromising my morals or authenticity. I try to avoid intertwining money with my idea of success because money does not equal happiness and I feel like that’s how people end up selling out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/saturnsarii
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saturnsarii/
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/saturnsarii
Image Credits
Betty McGhee (@bath.pdf on Instagram)
