Rafa Sardina

Last updated
Rafa Sardina
Birth nameRafael Sardina
Born1968
Bermeo
Spain
Occupations
SpouseTamara Ovejero

Rafael Sardina, known professionally as Rafa Sardina, is a basque recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer known for his work with Alejandro Sanz, Luis Miguel, Calle 13, D'Angelo, The Clare Fischer Big Band and Lady Gaga. [1] [2]

Contents

Sardina has won 5 Grammy Awards [3] [4] and 14 Latin Grammy Awards. [5] He is the current governor of the Recording Academy, Los Angeles Chapter [6] and has served on the board of trustees of the Latin Recording Academy. [7] [8] Sardina is a founding member and vice chairman of the Latin Recording Academy's CPI (Círculo de Productores e Ingenieros), equivalent to the Producers and Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy. [2] He was the executive producer of the 2017 and 2018 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year galas honoring Alejandro Sanz and Maná, respectively. [9] [10] [11] [12]

Early life and career

Sardina was born in Bermeo, a fishing port in the Basque Country located in northern Spain. Sardina's interest in music started at a young age. At the age of 6, he secretly played his younger sister's guitar and later told his mother he wanted to become a professional musician.

His parents moved to San Diego, California when he was 15. After a couple of months, Sardina returned to Spain, finished school and started playing in bands. His first experience in a recording studio was at the age of 16, when he attended a recording session of his cousin's band in San Sebastián.

Sardina joined medical school at age 16. During his second year of school, he started working as front of house and monitor engineer for local acts. During his fourth year of school and right before taking the final exam, Sardina decided to drop out. He saved up for a three-week recording certification program at The Recording Workshop school in Chillicothe, Ohio. Sardina then went back to Spain and continued saving until he enrolled in a program at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida.

In 1993, four weeks before graduating with a Valedictorian Award, [13] [14] Sardina organized a 24-hour trip to Los Angeles. He did interviews at Record Plant, Westlake Recording Studios and Ocean Way Recording, where he later started working and became assistant engineer. During his time at Ocean Way, Sardina recorded artists including Celine Dion, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dr. Dre and David Foster.

In 2001, after working for 5 years at Ocean Way, Sardina founded Fishbone Productions and started working as an independent engineer, recording at his studio "AfterHours". Sardina became better known for his work on Pop, Rock, R&B and Latin records, although he also works on a variety of genres including Jazz, Orchestral, Gospel, World and Film/TV soundtracks. He continued working with artists including Alejandro Sanz, Luis Miguel, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga and D'Angelo. [1] [2]

Sardina engineered the album "Symphonic Soweto: A Tribute To Nelson Mandela", which won the South African Music Award for Best Contemporary Album in 2018. [15] [16]

AfterHours Studios

Sardina founded AfterHours Studios to record his projects. AfterHours was first located at his previous house. Sardina describes it as being "just a tiny room, tracking little things like drums in the hallway".

The studio is now located in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, where he remodeled a two-story three-car garage and an adjacent room. The live room, control room and isolation booth are on the first floor, while an office and a lounge are located on the second floor. The studio operates around a Solid State Logic Duality console and incorporates multiple outboard processors into a digital recording system. [2] [17] The studio was featured on Mix Magazine's Class of 2017. [18]

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

YearCategoryNominated workArtistResultRef.
2004 Best Latin Pop Album No Es Lo Mismo (as engineer) Alejandro Sanz Won [3]
[19]
[20]
[21]
2006 Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album México En La Piel (as engineer) Luis Miguel Won
2008 Best Latin Pop Album El Tren de los Momentos (as engineer) Alejandro Sanz Won
2016 Record of the Year "Really Love" (as engineer) D'Angelo & The Vanguard Nominated
Best R&B Album Black Messiah (as engineer)Won
2017 Best Latin, Rock, Urban or Alternative Album L.H.O.N.(as engineer) Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas Nominated
Best Latin Pop Album Buena Vida (as engineer) Diego Torres Nominated
2020 #ElDisco (as engineer) Alejandro Sanz Won
Best Latin, Rock, Urban or Alternative Album Indestructible(as engineer and producer) Flor de Toloache Nominated
2021 Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano) Hecho En México(as engineer and producer) Alejandro Fernández Nominated

Latin Grammy Awards

YearCategoryNominated workArtistResultRef.
2000 Album of the Year Amarte Es Un Placer (as engineer) Luis Miguel Won
Best Pop Vocal Album Won
2003 Record of the Year "Hasta Que Vuelvas" (as engineer)Nominated [22]
2004 "No Es Lo Mismo" (as engineer) Alejandro Sanz Won
Album of the Year No Es Lo Mismo (as engineer)Won
Best Male Pop Vocal Album Won
Best Engineered Album Won
2005 Record of the Year "Tú No Tienes Alma" (as engineer)Won
Best Ranchero Album México En La Piel (as engineer) Luis Miguel Won
2007 Album of the Year El Tren de los Momentos (as engineer) Alejandro Sanz Nominated
2009 Best Rock Solo Vocal Album Miedo Escénico (as engineer) Beto Cuevas Nominated
2013 Album of the Year La Música No Se Toca (as engineer) Alejandro Sanz Nominated [23]
Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album Won
2014 Album of the Year MultiViral (as engineer) Calle 13 Nominated [24]
Best Urban Music Album Won
2015 Album of the Year Sirope (as engineer) Alejandro Sanz Nominated [25]
Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album Won
2016 Record of the Year "Iguales" (as engineer) Diego Torres Nominated [26]
Album of the Year Buena Vida (as engineer)Nominated
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Nominated
Best Alternative Music Album L.H.O.N.(as engineer) Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas Won
Producer of the Year Rafa SardinaNominated
2017 Record of the Year "Quiero Que Vuelvas" (as engineer) Alejandro Fernández Nominated
Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album Rompiendo Fronteras Nominated
2018 Best Engineered Album 50 Años Tocando Para Ti(as engineer) Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá Won [27]
2019 Album of the Year #ElDisco (as engineer) Alejandro Sanz Nominated [28]
Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album Nominated
Record of the Year "No Tengo Nada" (as engineer)Nominated
Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album Indestructible(as engineer and producer) Flor de Toloache Nominated
Best Singer-Songwriter Album Amor Presente(as engineer) Leonel García Nominated
Producer of the Year Rafa SardinaNominated
2020 Record of the Year "Contigo" (as engineer) Alejandro Sanz Won [29]
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Mirándote A Los Ojos(as engineer) José Luis Perales Nominated
Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album Hecho En México(as engineer) Alejandro Fernández Won
2021 Best Tango Album Tinto Tango Plays Piazzolla(as producer)Tinto TangoWon [30]
2023 Best Alternative Music Album Bolero Apocalíptico(as producer and engineer) Monsieur Periné Won [31]

Related Research Articles

The Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the Latin pop genre. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorge Calandrelli</span> Argentine composer and conductor

Jorge Calandrelli is an Argentine composer, arranger and conductor known for his work with Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Arturo Sandoval, Yo-Yo Ma, Tony Bennett, Elton John, Lady Gaga and John Legend. He has won 6 Grammy Awards and has received 28 nominations. He won the Latin Grammy Award for Producer of the Year and Best Instrumental Album for his work on A Time for Love by Arturo Sandoval in 2010.

The Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the United States and internationally. The award is given to the performers, producers, audio engineers and mastering engineer for new songs in Spanish or Portuguese language. The songs included on an album released the previous year of submission are also eligible only if they have not been submitted to competition before. Instrumental songs are also eligible. Due to the increasing musical changes in the industry, from 2012 the category includes 10 nominees, according to a restructuration made by the academy for the four general categories: Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist and Record of the Year.

The Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the United States and internationally. The award is given to the performers, producers, audio engineers and mastering engineers for vocal or instrumental albums with 51 percent of new recorded songs. Albums of previously released recordings, such as reissues, compilations of old recordings and greatest hits albums packages are not eligible. Due to the increasing musical changes in the industry, from 2012 the category includes 10 nominees, according to a restructuration made by the academy for the four general categories: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best New Artist and Album of the Year. Beginning in 2018, songwriters are eligible for the accolade if 33% of the playing time are composed by them.

The Latin Grammy Award for Song of the Year is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence, creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the United States and internationally. The award is given to the songwriters of new songs containing at least 51% of lyrics in Spanish or Portuguese language. Instrumental songs or a new version of a previously recorded track are not eligible. Due to the increasing musical changes in the industry, from 2012 the category includes 10 nominees, according to a restructuration made by the academy for the four general categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best New Artist and Song of the Year.

The Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Song is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the United States and internationally. The award is reserved to the songwriters of a new song containing at least 51% of the lyrics in Spanish. Instrumental recordings or cover songs are not eligible. Songs in Portuguese may be entered in the Brazilian field.

The Latin Grammy Award for Best Tejano Album is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the United States and internationally. The award goes to solo artists, duos, or groups for releasing vocal or instrumental albums containing at least 51% of new recordings in the tejano music genre.

The Latin Grammy Award for Best Norteño Album is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the United States and internationally.

The Latin Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an award presented by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. It began to be presented at the 2012 ceremony. The awards replaced the previous awards for Best Female Pop Vocal Album, Best Male Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Album by a Duo or Group with Vocals. According to the Latin Grammy description guide it is designed "For albums containing 51% or more playing time of newly recorded material and 51%playing time of Contemporary Pop music. Albums must also contain 51% or more playing time of vocal tracks. For solo artists, duos or groups."

<i>La Música No Se Toca</i> 2012 studio album by Alejandro Sanz

La Música No Se Toca is the tenth studio album recorded by Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz. It was produced by himself alongside Colombian Grammy award winner Julio C. Reyes. It was released by Universal Music Latino and Universal Music Spain on September 25, 2012. This album is the follow-up to the Grammy Award-winning album Paraíso Express (2009). It was nominated for Pop Album of the Year at the Premio Lo Nuestro 2013.

<i>Sirope</i> 2015 studio album by Alejandro Sanz

Sirope is the 11th studio album recorded by Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz. It was produced by himself alongside Grammy award winner Sebastian Krys. It was released on May 4, 2015. Sirope earned nominations for Album of the Year and won for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album at the 16th Latin Grammy Awards. Sirope also received a nomination for Best Latin Pop Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.

Andrés Julián Saavedra is a Colombian producer, songwriter, mixer and engineer. Andres has been nominated eight times to the Latin Grammy Awards, with his latest for Producer of the Year in the 16th Annual Latin Grammy Awards held November 2015. Andrés is one of the top Colombian producers defining the new sound in Latin music.

Trevor Muzzy is an American mixer, producer, songwriter, engineer, guitarist, and bassist, known for his work with Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Jason Derulo, Pitbull, Alejandro Sanz, and Nicki Minaj. He has engineered and mixed tracks that have gone multi-platinum like “On The Floor”, “Starships”, “Judas”, and more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mi Persona Favorita</span> 2019 single by Alejandro Sanz and Camila Cabello

"Mi Persona Favorita" is a song by Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz and Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello, from Sanz's twelfth studio album El Disco (2019). The song was released by Universal Music Spain on March 28, 2019 as the album's third single accompanied by its music video, which first premiered on Sanz's official Vevo channel and directed by American director Gil Green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards</span> Music awards presented Nov 2020

The 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards were held on Thursday, November 19, 2020 and broadcast on TelevisaUnivision. The 2020 Latin Grammy ceremony was anchored from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, though the health protocols enacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant there was no live audience in the venue, and performances were presented from remote locations from many parts of the world. The telecast marked the 21st anniversary of the Latin Grammy Awards and honored musical releases within Latin music released from June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020. Nominations were announced on September 29.

Rafael “Rafa” Arcaute, is an Argentine songwriter, record producer and recording engineer. He has worked with several Latin American artists including Luis Alberto Spinetta, Shakira, C Tangana, Nathy Peluso, Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas, Calle 13, Christina Aguilera, Babasónicos and Andrés Calamaro. He has received eighteen Latin Grammy Awards, including two wins for Producer of the Year, and he has also won two American Grammys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julio Reyes Copello</span> Musical artist

Julio Reyes Copello is a Colombian producer, songwriter and record engineer. Throughout his career he has worked with various artists such as Jennifer López, Marc Anthony, Thalía, Chayanne, Kany García, Alejandro Sanz, Paula Arenas, Laura Pausini and Pablo Alborán, among others, as well as receiving four Grammy Awards and seven Latin Grammy Awards.

Aníbal Kerpel is an Argentine producer, engineer and mixer. Member of the progressive rock band Crucis, he began a successful career as a producer after the split of the band, working with artists such as Los Prisioneros, Café Tacvba, Divididos, Molotov, Gustavo Santaolalla, Bersuit Vergarabat, Juanes and Árbol, among others. During his career he has received a Grammy Award and over ten Latin Grammy Awards.

<i>Chances</i> (Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas) 2012 studio album by Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas

Chances is the seventh studio album by Argentine musical duo Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas, released on October 31, 2012, through Sony Music Latin. The album was produced by the members of the duo, Dante Spinetta and Emmanuel Horvilleur, alongside Rafael Arcaute, it was mixed by Rafa Sardina, mastered by Chris Gehringer and includes a collaboration with Mexican band Molotov.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenda del E</span> Musical artist

Glenda del Monte Escalante, known professionally as Glenda del E, is a Cuban-Canadian pianist, singer, record producer, arranger and composer, nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in 2022 for her album Ella, in collaboration with Venezuelan violinist Daniela Padrón.

References

  1. 1 2 "Rafa Sardina | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Producer/Engineer Rafa Sardina". Mixonline. 2019-03-04. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  3. 1 2 "Rafa Sardina". GRAMMY.com. 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  4. ↑ "D'Angelo". GRAMMY.com. 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  5. ↑ "20a Entrega Anual del Latin GRAMMY". Latin GRAMMYs. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  6. ↑ "AES New York 2018 » Presenters: Rafa Sardina". www.aes.org. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  7. ↑ "The Latin Recording Academy elects new Trustees". Latin GRAMMYs. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  8. ↑ "The Latin Recording Academy® elects new officers to its Board of Trustees". Latin GRAMMYs. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  9. ↑ "Anitta, Nacho Arimany, Diego "El Negro" Álvarez, Ismael Fernández, Siudy Garrido, Manuel Medrano, Jesús Montoya, and José Antonio Rodríguez join the 2017 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year gala honoring Alejandro Sanz". Latin GRAMMYs. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  10. ↑ "Alejandro Sanz named 2017 Latin Recording Academy® Person of the Year". Latin GRAMMYs. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  11. ↑ "Gala to honor Alejandro Sanz with 2017 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year™ distinction will showcase performances by David Bisbal, Camila Cabello, Santiago Cruz, Alejandro Fernández, Luis Fonsi, Juan Luis Guerra, Jesse & Joy, Juanes..." Latin GRAMMYs. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  12. ↑ "Maná named 2018 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year™". Latin GRAMMYs. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  13. ↑ "Seventeen Alumni Credited on Latin GRAMMY Nominated Projects". www.fullsail.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  14. ↑ "Panelist Biography". www.imsta.org. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  15. ↑ "AES New York 2018 » Presenters: Rafa Sardina". www.aes.org. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  16. ↑ "#SAMAs 2018: Full list of the winners from this year's awards". The South African. 2018-06-03. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  17. ↑ "It's Always After Hours for Rafa Sardina". ProSoundNetwork.com. 2016-12-15. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  18. ↑ "Class Of 2017". Mixonline. 2017-06-14. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  19. ↑ "Diego Torres". GRAMMY.com. 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  20. ↑ "Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas". GRAMMY.com. 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  21. ↑ "62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards". GRAMMY.com. 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  22. ↑ "2003 Latin Grammys winners and the tribute to salsa queen". Top40-Charts.com. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  23. ↑ "NOMINADOS 14a Entrega Anual del Latin GRAMMY". LatinGrammy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  24. ↑ Cobo, Leila (September 24, 2014). "Calle 13 Lead Latin Grammy Nominations". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
  25. ↑ "La lista completa de nominados a los Latin Grammy 2015" (in Spanish). infobae. September 23, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  26. ↑ "NOMINADOS 17a Entrega Anual del Latin GRAMMY". LatinGrammys (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 26, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  27. ↑ "19th Latin Grammy Awards Nominations" (PDF). latingrammy.com. 21 September 2018.
  28. ↑ Ryan, Patrick. "Latin Grammys: Camila Cabello, Alejandro Sanz, Rosalía, Luis Fonsi score 2019 nominations". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  29. ↑ Huston, Marysabel (29 September 2020). "Latin Grammy: J Balvin lidera la lista de nominaciones con 13, le sigue Bad Bunny con 9". CNN (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  30. ↑ "22nd Latin Grammy Awards Nominations" (PDF). September 28, 2021.
  31. ↑ THE LATIN ACADEMY OF RECORDING ARTS & SCIENCES, INC. 24th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards® FINAL NOMINATIONS (PDF).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.