Meet Gabriel Doñate

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriel Doñate.

Hi Gabriel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Huntington Park, CA and raised in Paramount, CA. I am a drummer in the Regional Mexican music genre. My music journey began at the age of 12. I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in drum performance, which includes a minor in music business at Musicians Institute in Hollywood. I’ve been mentored by industry greats like Fred Dinkins, Albe Bonacci, and Richie Gajate Garcia. I have worked with multiple international artists including Omar Ruiz, Regulo Caro, Adriel Favela, Los Hermanos Higuera, Arsenal Efectivo and many more. I am also a songwriter with multiple singles over 10 million views on Youtube as well as 12 million streams on Spotify. With big dreams and plenty of energy to spare, I seek to positively influence society with music.

Music has always been in my family so you can say I picked it up naturally. From my grandpa teaching me how to hold a guitar to my uncle showing me how to play songs.

At 12 years of age, I wanted my own guitar so I asked my dad to get me one. He was into the idea of me playing music and staying out of trouble. So the next week, we went to “The Pacific” in Huntington Park, went into a music store and purchased an electric guitar. How cool was that! I began learning Metallica songs and Nirvana songs right away. I started to get a sense of how music works and that there is a structure to it. It wasn’t until later on at the age of 13 that I was even introduced to the thought of drums.

One day at school, I was pounding on my desk and just playing along to music in my head when a counselor came to me and asked me if I played the drums. I told him no and sorry, I would keep it down. One would think that would be the end to the conversation but to my surprise he said something that stuck with me, “You should.”

So here I go running to my dad telling him, “I think I want to play drums !” boy was he surprised since he had just bought me an electric guitar. This is how I knew my dad was my biggest supporter. He said to me “Show me at least three full songs on the guitar and I might buy you one.” He never said no but wanted to see that he did not waste his money on the guitar for nothing. So I put together a show of three songs to showcase my dad which went pretty well. He was proud that I learned what I did and wanted to stay committed to music.

I was self-taught and used music to try to replicate the drum beats and feel. In high school, my buddies wanted to start a band and asked me to be the drummer since I was one of the few they knew. We started a cover band of just Nirvana songs. This was the start of me understanding what it is to be in a band and what I needed to bring to the table. This band helped me grow as a musician since it pushed me when I needed to. It was maybe later on in my high school years that the band would go their separate ways and I would then join up with other guys that were into music I had never heard, Punk.

Punk was something that was new to me and was very fast-paced. I had found new music to learn and play along with my new peers. Bad Brains is my favorite band and when I heard them mix reggae with punk I lost it. Another big genre in high school was Ska music which there was always a band at the punk shows that would play. The sound of the horns is what got me interested and hooked. Starting punk/ska bands was a popular thing to do during my school years. So, I eventually started one with my new band, “The Skums”.

After high school, I joined other ska punk bands. Then, in 2010 I got introduced to music that I had heard before but was never interested in. Corridos or Regional Mexican was something my parents or grandparents would listen to. One day I got a call from my ex guitar player Victor Mendoza that was in my highschool punk/ska band. He had mentioned that they were looking for a drummer to form part of a new band he was starting. I was for and they invited me to a rehearsal.

I remember I had too much of a rocker vibe for the music where I would crash a lot of cymbals. Needless to say, you didn’t need much cymbals as the music was calmer. I do remember after the practice, they told me we can work with you and mold you into this type of drummer. I was thinking in my head “what does that mean? should I join?” What got me to say yes was the fact that he told me that we would actually get paid for gigs. Bear in mind that I was used to not getting paid at all and just doing shows for fun.

This started my journey in the Regional Mexican scene as a drummer. We continued as a band up till 2013 where then the band went their separate ways. I was left to freelance as a drummer in this new scene where I was barely getting known locally. I would gig with different bands every weekend until I auditioned for a singer named Omar Ruiz in 2014. This would be where I would stay as a permanent player and as I saw him rise to fame, I knew this was where I wanted to be. I was then on big stages with huge crowds and touring all over the USA. In 2016 I decided it was time to learn my craft and take it seriously so I enrolled into Musicians Institute where I received my Associate Degree in 2018. Now I Am currently working towards my Bachelor’s degree. I am still playing for Omar Ruiz and am Touring, being a musical director, and recording almost all his albums.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not a smooth road but awesome scenery. What I mean by that is there’s a lot of ups and downs but you’ll learn so much from every little experience.

There have been a lot of struggles, from family not being supportive to just finding a gig. I learned from this business to never give up. I have seen so many give up from opportunities to straight up giving up on their goals or dreams not knowing how close they are. The best thing you can do is learn from your experiences and grow as a musician and just as a person.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a drummer and music director with a singer named Omar Ruiz. I am known for my explosive style of playing Norteño Progressivo. Something that sets me apart is the use of wood hoop snares in my playing. I am also known for my unique style of playing Norteño with a rock touch. What I am mostly proud of is taking my craft seriously and a lot of people know that and get inspired by it. I love to put my money back into my craft by buying what I need and improving my arsenal with the gear and skills I need to get the job done.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t believe in luck. To me, luck has nothing to do with you getting a gig, preparation does. I can honestly say that every gig I got was because I knew someone. It’s like the saying says, “it’s all about who you know”. So the best luck you can have is being prepared and making connections with the right people.

Pricing:

• Live Show: $120/show
• Studio Session (Drums): $80-$100 a song
• Producer: $100/song

Contact Info:

• Email: gabriel.donate1989@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.gabrieldonatejr.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrieldonatejr/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Gabriel-Do%C3%B1ate-Jr/100059858132822/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/GabrielDonatejr
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/omarruizoficial/

Image Credits
@jvisions @v3rd3losangeles @closrv