Check Out Santos Palazzi’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Santos Palazzi.

Santos, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Venezuela. Since I come from European heritage and was raised in Latin America, my music is inevitably influenced by both cultures, along with styles like pop, rock and flamenco.
I started out mainly as a guitar player. When I began studying music formally, a much bigger world opened up to me. I discovered composition, and in 2006 I won second prize and the audience prize at the II Young Composers National Hall in Venezuela. From there, film and TV drew me in. I started writing music for telenovelas, TV commercials and theater, and at the same time I worked with different recording artists as a studio producer and as music director for their live shows. Those years taught me to wear many hats, and I believe they shaped who I am as a musician.
In 2016 I moved to Los Angeles to keep growing as a film and TV composer. Starting over in a new country wasn’t easy, but since then my music has been featured in TV shows, films, video games and commercials on networks and platforms such as Netflix, Telemundo, ABC, Bravo, Discovery and National Geographic.
Today I’m based in Pasadena, still composing and producing, and still looking for new ways to tell stories through music.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think it’s ever a smooth road, and I’m grateful for that. Leaving my home country wasn’t easy, but the situation in Venezuela left me no choice. Moving to a different country and a different culture on your own, leaving behind everything you’ve built for years, and starting from a clean slate when you’re close to 40 is not really a smooth road. But the changes and the learning process were completely worth it. You change. You learn things about yourself you weren’t aware of. Your endurance, your strength and your willingness to keep going help you grow and become a much better person.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a composer, music producer and guitar player. Most of my work is writing music for television, film, video games and commercials. My music has been featured on networks and platforms like Netflix, Telemundo, ABC, Bravo, Discovery and National Geographic, from Latin drama series to reality TV.
I’m probably best known for my work in television. The telenovela world is where I grew up professionally, and it’s still close to my heart. But I love moving between styles. One day I’m writing a dramatic score, and the next I’m producing a pop track or recording flamenco guitar.
What I’m most proud of is building my career twice. I built it once in Venezuela, and then again from zero in Los Angeles. Seeing my music on major American networks today, and making a living from it, means a lot to me.
What sets me apart is the mix of backgrounds I bring to every project, and having worn so many different hats throughout my career. I come from the guitar world, but also from concert composition, from the studio and from live stages as a performer and music director. On top of that, the mix of my European roots with the Latin American culture might be a add-on to my work as well.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Right now I’m working on a few projects.
I’m writing the music score for a documentary about the history of oil in Venezuela. It’s a story that shaped my country, and my own life too, so it’s a very personal project for me.
I’m also organizing a benefit concert with fellow Venezuelan composers to support the victims of the recent earthquake in Venezuela. Music is what we know how to give, and we want to use it to help our people.
And of course, I’m still working on projects for different TV networks, which keeps me busy every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.santospalazzi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santospalazzi
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/palazzisantos/
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/santospalazzi?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Image Credits

Vecc Schiafino:
Santos Palazzi – 4R9A5105 v2
SPA – 4R9A4923
SPA – 4R9A5006-Edit
SPA – 4R9A5130

Henry Cuicas:
HDCS5778