Today we’d like to introduce you to Rafael Dolande.
Hi Rafael, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1993. My influence in music comes from rap/ hip-hop, my upcoming was mostly with freestyling and breakdancing, years later, it was all I wanted to do with my life, in 2012 I moved to Miami FL to follow my dream. Being a first-hand witness of the music scene in Miami was what inspired me to finally express myself in an artistic way, I started deejaying in different places such as boats, private parties, venues and nightclubs.
I graduated in 2017 as an audio engineer, I was an intern at Rebel 11 studios for a year where I was able to gain experience and knowledge from my peers, after all these years working in the music scene in Miami, I was finally able to discover my sound, a mix of urban Latin genre with house music giving great vibes that get everyone dancing on the nightclubs.
As this year passed along with the pandemic, I was more invested into deejaying and making my own music as well as sending it out to record labels, this past year I have also had the amazing opportunity to open for DJ’s such as Rafa Barrios, Neverdogs, Harvey Valencia and many more.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I do feel like it has not been an easy path, however, it has also been very beneficial it gave me the opportunity to create a lot of friendships and partnerships that fulfill me, and even though it is a very competitive industry, I have gained enough experience to stay on my feet and keep my goals, and from all that I been through, I do believe this is only the beginning.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As an audio engineer, I specialize in mixing vocals & recording, I’ve had the opportunity to work with local artists and being part of their projects as well, one of the things I hold most pride for is that I got to work with amazing artists from Venezuela that have inspired a lot of my own music.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson that I have learned is being able to separate the business from the music, it has not been an easy thing to do, but I am a firm believer that music is art and not a transaction.
Contact Info:
- Email: dolande.contact@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dolandemusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dolandemusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLky_QS_PhtZmkxx551Jgbg
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/dolandemusic
Image Credits
@imninarts @lvlvisuals
