We recently connected with Ramiro Gutierrez and have shared our conversation below.
Ramiro , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
It was a mix of blessings and overcoming trauma which led me to find my purpose. I was born and raised in Bluefields, Nicaragua, a small Caribbean port town, which had a rich multi-cultural tradition, reflected in the music, the food, and the laid-back, community-oriented way of life. Bluefields was part Afro-Caribbean, part Miskito indigenous, and part Latin/hispanic. As a child, my parents would take me and my siblings to a local indoor/outdoor dinner club, owned by their friends, where bands would perform live, playing Caribbean soca, and Latin dance music like salsa and merengue. People would bring their kids, and the adults would dance and dine, while the kids ran around and played. I was a very introverted kid, so I would mostly keep to myself and watch the bands play. I was especially fascinated by how the different members of the band communicated while performing, intently watching all of their non-verbal cues, how they signaled each other when the next change in the song was coming, for instance. All of the different musical styles shared a common thread of a folkloric-type vibe, with lyrics that told tales and stories of some of the town’s fabled residents.
The vibrant sense of community was also strong in the town’s annual Maypole festival, which had deep roots in African fertility and spring rituals, One of the staple songs of the Maypole festival celebrated the Congo goddess Mayaya Lasinki. Other popular festivals in the town celebrated religious figures, including Catholic saints, but all of these celebrations had a mix of indigenous elements from the native tribes of the area.
But I also experienced several major traumatic events during my childhood, the biggest of which was war. Nicaragua went through a revolution and then a contra war, My dad was a doctor, and my mom owned a business and a farm. They helped so many of the town’s people over the years, but eventually, because of the war, we were forced to leave everything behind, literally overnight, all of our friends, our community, all of our possessions. During the last year that we were there, school was cancelled, and society was paralyzed. We were fortunate to be able to leave, and come to the U.S., eventually settling in New Orleans, where my parents had to learn English and find work and a place for us to live. But there was so much uncertainty, from financial insecurity to just being able to fit in and start a new life. By that point I was 12 years old, and it was a shocking way to be thrust into my teenage years.
My mom’s resilience, integrity, and determination during this time really got us through it. She’s in her 90’s now, and I’m deeply grateful to still have her around. Her unconditional love, her faith, and her strength really inspired me and helped me find my purpose, and dedicate my life to bringing people together. And it makes sense that because of my childhood experiences in Bluefields, and also the rich musical culture of New Orleans, where I lived until my early college years, the way that I bring people together and build community is through music. I strongly believe that music gatherings can be transformational. Music is a universal language that can heal and build bridges, and connect hearts. This is why I love DJ”ing, and singing, and writing songs, and performing in front of an audience. Producing the shows and events affords me the opportunity to fulfill my purpose of lifting up others through this connection and shared love of the music.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As founder and President of Uniting Souls Music, our Seattle-based record label and event production company, I have the privilege of producing and curating wonderful events, from club nights to outdoor park parties and festivals, to summertime boat parties, and art events. I also own and manage the record label, and handle A&R, curating dance music releases that have relatively modest sales numbers but a wide global reach, with our music selling in over 70 countries. It takes a village, of course, so I’m thankful to have a strong team, supportive friends, and a supportive community that all contribute in helping us put on successful events and releases.
As a performing electronic music DJ, I love to experience the connection with the dancers in the audience. I feed off the energy on the dance floor. The dancers feel it too, and it elevates the vibe in the room to a place where the joys and struggles of life are all felt and lead us to a place of deeper understanding. With summer approaching, I’m especially looking forward to the outdoor events – our Aquafunk boat party on June 8th, where we cruise Lake Union and Lake Washington in Seattle for 4 hours, with 3 decks with DJ’s a live performers; our 9th annual July 4th BBQ Rooftop Party at Monkey Loft; the weekend camping festivals, including Cascadia NW Arts & Music Festival, happening on the summer solstice, APOG in July, and Imagine Music & Arts Festival in September at a gorgeous location in Orcas Island. Also, our 8th annual free party in the park, Forest For The Trees, which takes place along the Seattle waterfront, next to the Salish Sea, at Myrtle Edwards, a collaboration with Flammable and Viva. Seattle really comes alive in the summer, and we get to fully experience the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, so these are some of my favorite musical experiences. I’m also honored to be closing out the main stage for Seattle PrideFest at the end of June, outdoors at the Seattle Center grounds, underneath the Space Needle.
And I’m also part of two monthly events, Machine Learning 2nd Saturdays at the Lumberyard in Whitecenter, one of the last non-gentrified neighborhoods in Seattle, and Diggin’ Deep last Saturdays at Monkey Loft. We’ll be celebrating Pride at the June edition of Diggin’ Deep, making our annual donation to GenPride, a local non-profit which supports and advocates for LGBTQ+ seniors as the reach the age where they need elder care. And at the July edition, we’ll be celebrating the 28-year anniversary of Uniting Souls Music.
On the record label front, we have several solid releases lined up, approximately one release each month through the rest of the calendar year, featuring lots of new music by talented West Coast producers, remixers, and vocalists (myself included:). Lastly, we also recently launched a sister label to Uniting Souls, named Eklectic Sounds, with the goal of expanding into new genres, and showcasing new sounds outside of the brand that Uniting Souls is known for, As part of this, we’re working on producing and releasing my longtime partner Xenagogue’s first album – he plays the piano and the harp, and writes some beautiful melodies and ballads, so that’s another exciting project in the works.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Resilience, perseverance, and staying true to the core mission of your purpose. All three have been huge in helping me overcome the traumas experienced along my journey, finding forgiveness, of myself and others, cultivating self-love, practicing, self-care, and never giving up on creating, and manifesting your vision. Lots of practical skills are essential to successfully implementing your vision, of course, like organizational/project management types of tasks, maintaining spreadsheets and timelines and the like. But really, when it comes down to it, your heart has to be in it. What does your heart say? Follow that, and persevere. When in doubt, ask yourself what’s good for the soul, and you’ll be guided where you need to be.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’m always looking to expand connections, and work with other artists, vocalists, and producers. If you’re passionate about music, especially dance music, with a positive, uplifting message, feel free to reach out via our website, or on Instagram.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my story!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.unitingsoulsmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ramiro_uniting_souls
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ramiroseattle
Image Credits
Alex Legaspi
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