Today we’d like to introduce you to Santiago Orozco.
Santiago, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born in Bogota, Colombia. My love for music started when I was 13 years old. At first, I wanted to be a drummer, but there wasn’t any way I could play drums at home.
Therefore, I had two wooden sticks (more like two broomsticks cut it in half), and I was always hitting my parents living room couch as if it was a drum, playing along with the songs I was listening through my parents’ stereo. They got very tired about that, so I changed to an old acoustic guitar that was always around in the house.
A big love for punk – rock, and ska started to grow on me, so I learned how to play the songs that I liked on guitar through guitar tabs from the internet. Little by little I started to feel more comfortable with the instrument and I start singing and playing in bonfires, friend’s parties, etc.. just for fun. My singing was terrible at that time, but little by little I started to mold it and make it my own.
When I finally discovered reggae music, I started to write my own songs. It took me many years to realize I wanted to do this professionally. It was my love for traveling and seeing the reaction of people to my music in the different cities and places I was going that made me decide to follow this path. The rest is history. From Bogota to Argentina to Brazil, and finally the U.S.
I established myself ten years ago in San Diego, CA and started my dream project called Todo Mundo. Since I didn’t know anyone when I came to San Diego, I started playing on the streets; Farmer’s Markets, wherever I could. It’s where I started to meet my bandmates, right on the streets. We started to jam and play anything we got offered.
Little by little, we started to build our following, and people started to know who we were. Humble beginnings. We played hundreds of shows, toured the states, went out of the country, and won different awards.
In 2016, I moved to Los Angeles to meet new producers and musicians to contribute to the new sound, which blends electronic elements that I wanted to explore with the beauty and power of raw acoustic instruments to create our latest album ‘Colors + Moments. We changed the name of the band to ‘WITHN”. And here we are.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth?… Not at all. We change as people. Our thoughts change, our dreams, our vision of the world, everything changes. Not everything has being easy. A lot of things are not going to work in the way you imagine. There were moments I wanted to give up. I couldn’t find myself, I didn’t know where to go. There are times you feel stuck and without support. You feel like you’re not going anywhere with your art. Even if you are putting all your love and dedication in it.
Being truthful to yourself is not easily many times. Starting again takes a lot of guts. On top of that, remember you are in constant relation with your bandmates. All of them have feelings, visions and perceive things differently than you do. Finding the balance in that relation, it takes a lot of energy and effort. Definitely, this path has taught me a lot as a human being and especially how to work with people.
At the same time, we encounter the most beautiful experiences of our life. You find people along the way that believe in you, that care about you and want the best for your dreams. Those are the people that make everything worth it. This path is full of contrasts. Highs and lows. Light and dark. We are complex as creators. At least I am. Therefore not everything will come easily always.
For me, the biggest thing has been finding myself, creating from a place of truth, making sure I can sustain myself and the people that I value in my life. Right there, it’s a whole conversation, but mainly your love for this has gotta be strong; otherwise, any struggle can swipe this dream away.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about WITHN – what should we know?
My music comes from my heart. Always my intention of playing music has been to express my feelings and move people with the electricity I feel when I get into the music.
This music comes from a very honest place. A place of silence and energy. A place of love and power. We seek to unite people from all walks of life through our musical blend: Spanish Rumba, Reggae, Brazilian, Balkan and Middle Eastern sounds, combined with elements of Pop, Rock, and Electronic. Sharing messages of acceptance, equality, and love.
We carry with ourselves with boundless inspiration garnered through extensive travel and discovery — as well as a distinctive connection to our compositions, to our audiences, and to the moment. Our music is real and transparent. I’m proud of the people that come to our shows. Their energy and reaction are so uplifting and honest.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Always being honest with who you are. Life is a balance. It took me a while to understand that. Always think and project that your success it’s the success of everyone. This is not a competition, we’re together on this. We all want to succeed and make our dreams a reality. In this path, I think we forget many times to look around and see other people for who they are. It can be a selfish route if we’re not aware.
Patience, perseverance, dedication and focus. Key qualities. The most important aspect of success is to be humble and grateful every second. Mostly when things don’t go the way you want. Being grateful has taught me a lot.
For me, success is to be surrounded by people that loves you and believes in you. Success is the capacity of sharing your gift with the world, creating a sustainable and healthy life for yourself and all the people around you. If what you do create has a positive impact in the community, even better.
Success for me is traveling the world with no limits, creating and giving something special in any place you visit. That is for me the ultimate meaning of success.
What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
I don’t know if it’s luck at this point. But I will say I’ve been very fortunate to encounter so many beautiful moments and people through music. I’m fortunate to be here in this country and be able and capable to do what I love fully. It has being a journey. I consider myself a lucky person, but I know more than luck, all the things I achieved also has being part of hard work, dedication, consistency, patience and perseverance.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.withinseekers.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withinseekers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/withinseekers/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/withinseekers
Image Credit:
Photo by Nicole Nelson
Website: http://www.nnelsonphoto.com
Instagram: @nicotothewild
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