Record producer Rafa Sardina began his recording career doing sound for live shows in Spain. Later he became an assistant engineer at Hollywood's Ocean Way Recording and Record One studios.
During the last five years Rafa's engineering career has produced an eclectic, but impressive, client list: Macy Gray, Dru Hill, Mariah Carey, Luis Miguel, Juan Gabriel, Soul Coughing, Angie Stone, Rahat Fateh, Ali Khan, Indian legend Yesudas, score for Oliver Stone film "Any Given Sunday", IMAX movie "Michael Jordan- To The MAX", Walt Disney movie "102 Dalmatians" among others.
Rafa Sardina talks with George Shilling in Abbey Road Studios, Studio 1
Los Angeles based ten-time Grammy-winner mixer/engineer Rafa Sardina has built an eclectic and impressive client list in the recent years: Macy Gray, Stevie Wonder, Dr Dre, Dru Hill, Jessy Moss, Mariah Carey, Luis Miguel, Sheryl Crow, Soul Coughing, Marc Antoine, Angie Stone and Alejandro Sanz, among others. As a musician (bass and guitar), arranger and producer Rafa connects easily with artists and has tremendous respect for creating a studio vibe that's performance-friendly for both new and established talent. Rafa has had the pleasure of working with top flight musicians including Vinnie Colaiuta, Luis Conte, Michael Landau, Anthony Jackson, to name a few. He has worked with numerous high-profile artists and producers including Dr Dre, Juan Carlos Paz Y Puente, Camara Kambon, Lulu Perez, Babyface, Scott Litt, Joe Harley, and David Foster.
Best known for pop/rock and R&B sounds, Sardina's passion for audio began when he was doing live sound for folk, world and jazz music in Northern Spain and the South of France. He served his engineering apprenticeship at Hollywood's Ocean Way and Record One studios where he landed his first independent engineering gig with Warner mega star Luis Miguel. He has since collaborated with him on seven albums.
Sardina mixed the top 10 album for Antonio Orozco's third and debut cd on Universal Music. According to label sources, Orozco's cd entered the charts at Nº 1 in Spain and has maintained its Top 10 position to-date. Rafa engineered Meditteraneo for Rendez Vous artist Marc Antoine and is currently in the studio co-producing with Cheche Alara.
In February 2006, Sardina received his 10th Grammy for Luis Miguel's Mexico en la Piel at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Last year Warner superstar, Alejandro Sanz' album "No Es Lo Mismo," recorded by Sardina, won Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Album and last but not least, it took a trophy for Best-engineered album. This year, Mr Sanz won Best song and Best Record of the year for "Tu No Tienes Alma," recorded by Sardina who earned two Latin Grammy Awards in 2000 for Album of the Year and Best Pop Album by Luis Miguel --"Amarte Es Un Placer" for WEA Intl.
Subsequent Grammy nominations for Miguel's albums have followed in the years 2001 to 2003 and most recently for "33" in 2004.
Rafa is equally at home working at world-class studios like Abbey Road, Chalice and Record Plant as he is in his "HD" ProTools studio, After Hours, where he does pre-production and artist development.
"My studio philosophy is simple - I'm there to make sure the artist is having fun. I see my work much like a photographer's, as transparent as possible when required but always providing the creative edge to affect the song and performance in a positive way. To achieve that goal, I like to create a comfortable and inspiring environment using the best acoustics and tools available."
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List of Recent Projects
Dru Hill - "Enter The Dru"
Luis Miguel - "Amarte Es Un Placer" - Winner of 3
Latin Grammy’s 2000
Luis Miguel - "Romances" - Winner of a Grammy 1998
Macy Gray - "New Tracks"
Soul Coughing - "Super Bon Bon" Remix
Angie Stone - "New track"
Oliver Stone Movie - "Any Given Sunday"
IMAX Movie & Soundtrack - "Michael Jordan - To The Max"
Luis Miguel - "Vivo" - Nominated to a Grammy 2001
Walt Disney Pictures Movie & Soundtrack - "102
Dalmatians"
RAFA SARDINA - AWARDS
THE RECORDING ACADEMY
Grammy Certificate for "Best Latin Pop
Performance" - 1997
Luis Miguel - "Romances"
1ST LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS:
GRAMMY for ALBUM OF THE YEAR
GRAMMY for BEST POP ALBUM
Grammy Certificate for "Best Pop Performance" - 2000
Luis Miguel - "Tu Mirada"
RAFA SARDINA - CONTACT
C-Management
Claris Sayadian-Dodge
Phone: 1-818-990-3031 USA
1-877-645-9777 Toll free USA
Fax: 1-818-990-3361 USA
________________________________
Address:
21216 De La Guerra Street
Woodland Hills, CA 91364 / USA
________________________________
Email:
Rafasar@earthlink.net
Website:
www.RafaSardina.com
Special thanks goes to Claris at C-Management
for arranging this interview!
