Meet Rafa, Canberra’s face of the new musical revolution
Posted on
The internet and rapid advancement of technology has undeniably revolutionised the way we do so many things in the world. And now, that reach has enveloped the very DNA of music.
Meet Rafa, one of Canberra’s up and coming artists who has thrown out every musical rule that’s supposed to lead to the creation of sound.
His debut single, ‘Fight no more’, has been met with widespread acclaim and today he launches his second track ‘Forever Love’.
Rafa is a one-man-band behind his genre-bending, poppy, urban sound with modern elements of funk and jazz fleshing out the sound.
Can he play an instrument? No. Can he read music? No. Has he had any professional training or musical education? No.
So how does he do it? On a computer—And a whole lotta YouTube tutorials.
“Back when I was around 20, my brother got one of those DAWs—Digital Audio Workstations. It was called Fruity Loops at the time,” laughs Rafa, reminiscing.
“Forever being into whatever my brother was into, I started mucking around on it. Just with different musical ideas and melodies and samples and all that sort of thing. So it’s all digital.
“I never really played an instrument or anything… well I mean I played trumpet in primary school, but that doesn’t really count.”
Rafa has one of those rare gifts; a natural knack for making music for which he credits his Dutch and Colombian parents.
Thinking of Tiesto and Martin Garrix, Rafa notes “a lot of Dutch DJs have a really good ear for melodies—beyond the traditional electro vibe. I feel like there’s something in the Dutch genes that I got a little of.
“And then, of course, South Americans have all the rhythm and I feel like maybe I got that from that side. I don’t know, that’s just my theory.”
Genetics and the age-old nature vs nurture debate aside, Rafa’s Isabella Plains home was always full of music growing up—predominantly Latin music with a dash of classical thrown in as well. Sounds like the perfect recipe to me.
Rafa worked with UK-based lyricist and singer Sam Welch on his first two tracks, but in what’s now typical Rafa fashion they’ve never met face to face.
“I use this website called Vocalizr, where you throw up your instrumental and people submit demos for it and I loved Sam’s stuff from the start.” Another modern miracle.
So what next for Rafa?
“I really want to explore the lyrical side of it more, there’s such an art to it. I think I could be good at it—I always liked writing poems in school.
“Now after working with Sam, I also have a better understanding of how vocals are supposed to sit on my music and I reckon I have a strong foundation to work from.”
Rafa is another bright feather in Canberra’s creative cap and I for one can’t wait to see what he produces next.
