San Rafael Band

Every now and then, one discovers and uncut gem amongst the musical rubble. A gem formed from dust of sacrifice, creativity and passion. Originally a native of San Antonio, Texas,
Rafael Vasquez grew up in the barrios of sun scorched towns in the southwest..Spending most of his youth growing up with friends and family members, he remembers mostly the times when he would sneak into small cantinas, clubs and bars where the smell of cigarettes, beer, Mexican food and live music filled the air.
During his youth, he would sit for hours listening to vinyl records of his heroes of Latin music, and literally taught himself how to play guitar techniques that many masters find absolutely amazing!
As the years passed, Rafael and his playing style began gaining recognition and eventually joined popular Tejano bands like Sunny and the Sunliners, Little Joe y la Familia and Augustin Ramirez. At an early age, Rafael gained an immense amount of experience of being on the road, eventually signing to a major label and playing with Grammy award winning group, Little Joe y la Familia. As time rolled on, Rafael made the decision that family came first and chose to head east to Nashville, Tennessee; while pursuing the local music scene and at the same time, stabilizing his home life with the typical “day-today” job sacrificing his music for his family.

Rafael Vasquez has emerged anew. As a creative artist, he fuses Latin Jazz with the broader adult contemporary market, taking the reigns as a leading Latin artist in Music City with a carefully crafted sound of his current band--The San Rafael Band. His music is a unique combination of fiery guitar lines of Santana, the Nouveau Flamenco Jazz of Ottmar Liebert, the bluesy style of late great, Freddie King and the soulful and vocal sound of Sting. These compelling blends of jazz, blues, classical and rock has created a new and popular sound that combines the best of Salsa, Latin Jazz and Rock that’s perfect for the emerging Latin Pop/Jazz genre.

Today, Rafael has proven his talents but is still far from calling it quits. With five CD’s under his belt, the latest titled “Chronicles Vol. 1”, highlights his works from the first two CD’s, Fiesta Day, and El Cine del Corazon, (The theater of the heart) which this project was a series of stories, similar to the films of his youth, filled with musical tales of love, life, hardship and laughter. Rafael has never strayed from his Hispanic roots and humble beginnings, although he has risen as a musical artist rooted deeply in his heritage, his music will continue to share his message with the world.