Today we’d like to introduce you to Dani Toralla
Hi Dani , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Guatemala. I began singing when I was 6 years old but started singing studies at the age of 8. When I was 16, I was part of a pop duo and lead singer of the pop band in Quetzaltenango, my hometown. In 2015 I started lyrical singing studies at Guatemala’s National Conservatory of Music “Germán Alcántara.” In addition to that, I reinforced that discipline with Professor Bárbara Bickford and became part of the choir of the Guatemalan Opera Company “Querido Arte”, founded by the tenor Mario Chang and the soprano María José Morales. In the same year, I began studying at Galileo University where I earned a bachelor’s in music in 2020.
I first listened to jazz when I was 16 years old. It was the “First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald who captivated my heart and ears. I wanted to be able to sing and do the “doobee, doo wah” like her. So I started studying Jazz Vocal improvisation, with professor Rosse Aguilar from 2018 to 2022, and that was when I learned that the “doobee, doo wah” was called “scat.” It was in the rhythms of jazz and bossa nova where I found my heart beating faster, so I co-founded the band “Scat-cat Jazz,” in which musicians considered as exponents of the Guatemalan jazz scene participated. I also worked as Director of the Choir of the Engineers Association of Guatemala and as Italian Professor for classical singing students at the National Conservatory of Music in the same period. My teaching experience with private students and in music academies led me to become a faculty member of the College of Music at the Da Vinci University of Guatemala.
I recently got a Master’s Degree in Jazz Voice at the University of North Texas, where I also worked as a Teaching Assistant. I am currently part of the faculty at DIMATexas. Besides my teaching, I am always performing in the Dallas – Fort Worth area, especially promoting my latest EP with Houston pianist Tomás Jonsson, which won us a Downbeat Award. In October, I will be going to Guatemala for a short period of time for a tour with my band and also to receive the award of the “Artist of the Year” of my country, which I am deeply grateful to receive this year.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The hardest thing I’ve ever done was moving to Texas to go to school and get my Master’s Degree at the University of North Texas (UNT). It was hard getting to leave my home, my family, my friends and everything I loved. At UNT the competitive level was really high, and I knew it. I knew that I was not prepared for it and that meant that I was practicing 24/7, to get to the level. It was a little insufferable process, until I understood that I was meant to be here to learn and enjoy, and that all I needed was to be patient with myself. That is when I started having a great time and also I started noticing my growth in my musicianship.
It has not been easy, but luckily I have always been supported by my family to follow my dreams. As a musician, you have to be disciplined, and it is hard to get that habit. Fortunately, I am very stubborn or obstinate, and I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life since I was 16 years old, and I believe that that took me to where I am today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a singer. I consider myself a passionate for jazz and bossa nova. I love the freedom that those styles give you as a musician, and how every single time you sing the same song, it can be so different. At my concerts, I like to open up spaces for vulnerability, emotions, feelings and everlasting memories that are generated by the act of making people feel something. That is what makes us human beings, and it is good to remember that every once in a while.
My most recent project is a collaborative album with Houston Pianist Tomás Jonsson. It is all made of Brazilian music that is arranged by our own particular way of enjoying and feeling this music that makes our hearts beat faster. This album won us a Downbeat Award and we have been touring in the Dallas- Fort Worth area to show our material. This is something that I am really proud of, since I feel that it really shows and translates my passion for this music to the listeners. The album is available in all digital platforms, and it is called “Two Percent.”
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Do not stop doing what you are doing! Keep working on what you want, and it will come with hard work, perseverance and discipline. There will be great days, and bad days, but it is all about consistency. You made the decision because deep in your heart you were really sure of what you wanted, just keep going!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://danitoralla.wixsite.com/danitoralla
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dani_toralla?igsh=bm10cXdoY20zNTEw&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TorallaDani/
- Twitter: @DaniToralla
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DaniToralla
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5TXdRx3zcevPbUsBuIBAv3?si=TWC5rHGGTw66CSjeIiHMOw
Image Credits
Pictures with black background were taken by Luis Estacuy.
Other Pictures by Franchezka Ambrocio.
