Rafael Sardina, known professionally as Rafa Sardina, is a basque recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer known for his work with Alejandro Sanz, Luis Miguel, Calle 13, D'Angelo, The Clare Fischer Big Band and Lady Gaga.
Sardina has won 5 Grammy Awards and 14 Latin Grammy Awards. He is the current governor of the Recording Academy, Los Angeles Chapter and has served on the board of trustees of the Latin Recording Academy. Sardina is a founding member and vice chairman of the Latin Recording Academy's CPI (Círculo de Productores e Ingenieros), equivalent to the Producers and Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy. He was the executive producer of the 2017 and 2018 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year galas honoring Alejandro Sanz and Maná, respectively.
Early life and career Sardina was born in Bermeo, a fishing port in the Basque Country located in northern Spain. Sardina's interest in music started at a young age. At the age of 6, he secretly played his younger sister's guitar and later told his mother he wanted to become a professional musician.
His parents moved to San Diego, California when he was 15. After a couple of months, Sardina returned to Spain, finished school and started playing in bands. His first experience in a recording studio was at the age of 16, when he attended a recording session of his cousin's band in San Sebastián.
Sardina joined medical school at age 16. During his second year of school, he started working as front of house and monitor engineer for local acts. During his fourth year of school and right before taking the final exam, Sardina decided to drop out. He saved up for a three-week recording certification program at The Recording Workshop school in Chillicothe, Ohio. Sardina then went back to Spain and continued saving until he enrolled in a program at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida.
In 1993, four weeks before graduating with a Valedictorian Award, Sardina organized a 24-hour trip to Los Angeles. He did interviews at Record Plant, Westlake Recording Studios and Ocean Way Recording, where he later started working and became assistant engineer. During his time at Ocean Way, Sardina recorded artists including Celine Dion, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dr. Dre and David Foster.
In 2001, after working for 5 years at Ocean Way, Sardina founded Fishbone Productions and started working as an independent engineer, recording at his studio "AfterHours". Sardina became better known for his work on Pop, Rock, R&B and Latin records, although he also works on a variety of genres including Jazz, Orchestral, Gospel, World and Film/TV soundtracks. He continued working with artists including Alejandro Sanz, Luis Miguel, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga and D'Angelo.
Sardina engineered the album "Symphonic Soweto: A Tribute To Nelson Mandela", which won the South African Music Award for Best Contemporary Album in 2018.
AfterHours Studios Sardina founded AfterHours Studios to record his projects. AfterHours was first located at his previous house. Sardina describes it as being "just a tiny room, tracking little things like drums in the hallway".
The studio is now located in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, where he remodeled a two-story three-car garage and an adjacent room. The live room, control room and isolation booth are on the first floor, while an office and a lounge are located on the second floor. The studio operates around a Solid State Logic Duality console and incorporates multiple outboard processors into a digital recording system. The studio was featured on Mix Magazine's Class of 2017.
Awards and nominations Grammy Awards Year Category Nominated work Artist Result Ref. 2004Best Latin Pop Album No Es Lo Mismo (as engineer)Alejandro Sanz 2006Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album México En La Piel (as engineer)Luis Miguel2008Best Latin Pop Album El Tren de los Momentos (as engineer) Alejandro Sanz2016Record of the Year "Really Love" (as engineer)D'Angelo & The VanguardBest R&B Album Black Messiah (as engineer)2017Best Latin, Rock, Urban or Alternative Album L.H.O.N. (as engineer)Illya Kuryaki & The ValderramasBest Latin Pop Album Buena Vida (as engineer)Diego Torres2020 #ElDisco (as engineer)Alejandro SanzBest Latin, Rock, Urban or Alternative Album Indestructible (as engineer and producer) Flor de Toloache2021Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano) Hecho En México (as engineer and producer)Alejandro Fernández
Latin Grammy Awards Year Category Nominated work Artist Result Ref.2000 Album of the YearAmarte Es Un Placer (as engineer)Luis Miguel Best Pop Vocal Album 2003Record of the Year "Hasta Que Vuelvas" (as engineer) 2004 "No Es Lo Mismo" (as engineer)Alejandro Sanz Album of the YearNo Es Lo Mismo (as engineer)Best Male Pop Vocal AlbumBest Engineered Album2005Record of the Year "Tú No Tienes Alma" (as engineer)Best Ranchero Album México En La Piel (as engineer)Luis Miguel2007Album of the Year El Tren de los Momentos (as engineer)Alejandro Sanz2009Best Rock Solo Vocal Album Miedo Escénico (as engineer)Beto Cuevas2013 Album of the YearLa Música No Se Toca (as engineer)Alejandro SanzBest Contemporary Pop Vocal Album2014Album of the YearMultiViral (as engineer)Calle 13 Best Urban Music Album 2015Album of the YearSirope (as engineer)Alejandro Sanz Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album 2016Record of the Year "Iguales" (as engineer)Diego TorresAlbum of the YearBuena Vida (as engineer)Best Traditional Pop Vocal AlbumBest Alternative Music Album L.H.O.N. (as engineer)Illya Kuryaki & The ValderramasProducer of the YearRafa Sardina2017Record of the Year "Quiero Que Vuelvas" (as engineer)Alejandro Fernández Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album Rompiendo Fronteras 2018Best Engineered Album 50 Años Tocando Para Ti (as engineer) Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá 2019Album of the Year#ElDisco (as engineer)Alejandro SanzBest Contemporary Pop Vocal AlbumRecord of the Year "No Tengo Nada" (as engineer)Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album Indestructible (as engineer and producer) Flor de Toloache Best Singer-Songwriter Album Amor Presente (as engineer) Leonel GarcíaProducer of the YearRafa Sardina2020Record of the Year "Contigo" (as engineer)Alejandro SanzBest Traditional Pop Vocal Album Mirándote A Los Ojos (as engineer)José Luis PeralesBest Ranchero/Mariachi Album Hecho En México (as engineer)Alejandro Fernández2021Best Tango Album Tinto Tango Plays Piazzolla (as producer) Tinto Tango2023Best Alternative Music AlbumBolero Apocalíptico (as producer and engineer)Monsieur Periné
References
External links
Interview with Rafa Sardina | Latin Recording Academy Pensado's Place #279 | Engineer/Producer/Mixer Rafa Sardina