Today we’d like to introduce you to Camilo Sierra.
Hi Camilo, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My full name is Camilo Rafael Sierra. I came to Miami at five years old from Puerto Rico. Both my parents are creative, so I always gravitated towards drawing and music. My grandfather bought me a Casio SK-1 keyboard and that led me to learn the piano. All throughout elementary, middle and high school, I was in several programs that allowed me to explore the arts. After one year of college studying Media Arts and animation, I decided to move to Massachusetts to attend Art School but instead ended up teaching myself web design, music production, and video editing. Then, 9-11 happened. I came back to Miami a year later, joined my first band and went on tour. That earned me my first Latin Grammy Nomination in 2005 and a Grammy Nomination in 2008. After that, I joined my current band, Xperimento, as lead singer/songwriter. We went on to do countless local and national shows, numerous college tours within the US and have served in 5 tours with the US Navy. We have also played major festivals and represented the city of Miami in a worldwide campaign for the Department of Tourism. During that time, I co-founded my current record label and events company, Cutler Trax and another separate multifaceted branding and development agency. I currently work with my band and several other artists and companies developing their aesthetics and overall branding presence.
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?
My parents divorced when I was five. After that, anything that seemed hard or difficult I just saw as a part of life. Yes, there were hard times like Hurricane Andrew forcing me to relocate back to Puerto Rico and having to go to school there as I was entering middle school, etc. but I just saw it as what had to happen. I always had some kind of support from family or friends, and I was always able to see the positive side of things and let my art be an escape. My most current struggle has been a bone fracture in my left leg, which will take months to recover from. Looking forward to being stronger and better than I have ever been.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I create art from where there is seemingly nothing. I take ideas and concepts and manifest them into reality. Before everyone did their own logos and websites online for $5 I was the guy you called. Album covers, motion graphics, video editing, and content is what I mostly do these days. I also have my own online store where I sell custom merch. What sets me apart is that I’ve been doing this way longer than most people and have endured the whole entire industry shift without having to quit after a year or take a boring 9-5 job to make ends meet. If I’m low on clients, I can still work on my own projects and carve my own lane and have complete and total artistic freedom. I’m very proud of that.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey is that you have to really seek wisdom about your own personal life and who you are deep inside in order to be happy. I have done this deep diving with the help of music and art but finding out whom I really am and what my purpose is in life has allowed me to keep going. Healing past traumas, uncovering subconscious blocks, clearing out stagnant energy, tuning into physical and spiritual healing, immune system balancing: all these things are crucial to living a joyful, sustainable life. I am currently exploring all of these things and have found that helping people with these things is a new passion of mine. Holistic approaches are important because western medicine is plagued with many outdated and harmful practices.
Contact Info:
- Website: camilorafaelsierra.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camilorafaelsierra
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camilorafaelsierra
Image Credits
Ella Arie Troy Jeffery Jaime Musignac
