Today we’d like to introduce you to Rafa.
Hi Rafa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is rafa and I grew up in Brownsville,TX/Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. My whole life living around a border, being in Mexico one day or Brownsville the next—a storm of culture, words, melodies, sights, and emotions grew inside me. Having grown up experiencing both sides was such a blessing that I am so thankful for. My ability to write in English and Spanish I owe to mi familia and the border.
I moved to Dallas for university and was generally worried not knowing anyone in this city. I made my way, made some homies, discovered new cultures, foods, sounds, and places. Dallas, TX has been a very important ingredient in the recipe for who I am and what I can do today.
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’ve been writing and learning alone in my room for close to a decade now. Writing songs for myself to get my emotions in check. It’s therapy for me. The hardest part has been self-doubt. I always pursued my sound in English and never considered trying Spanish, the language I grew up speaking back home. Developing my song writing in Spanish this past year was technically a challenge, but the reality is that it was so natural that it felt like I’d been doing this my whole life. Once you find that “this is what I’m supposed to be doing” feeling, putting in the work is just like breathing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Musician, I go by rafa—my song “Abajo” just got Spotify editorial playlisted twice on Spotify’s “Nuevo Urbano” and “Urbano Rising” with artists I listen to like Bad Bunny and J Balvin. This is my biggest achievement in music so far so I’m pretty proud of all the work down this road so far.
I think the fact that I make music solely to express myself is a little different. I’m here to make music and perform it real loud, it makes me happy.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I am thankful for having grown up on the border. My experience there has led me to where I am today. Gracias a la vida.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.goodjuan.studio/rafa
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yorafarafa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yorafarafa
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/yorafarafa
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjPtF5oquKM
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/yorafarafa
