Romario is a sound engineer, bass player, father of two, and - as I learned sitting down with him for this chat - a consummate storyteller. It was such a pleasure to reminisce about the good old days working together in The Music Room, to find a sympathetic ear for my AV-tech-sound rants, and to hear highlights of some of his most memorable gigs doing sound for legends like Sepultura and Andrea Bocelli.
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Romario grew up in Dubai and remembers when Sheikh Zayed Road truly was a two-lane road, not the 5-a-side super thoroughfare it is today, when half of the neighbourhoods that exist today were nothing but sand dunes, and when the local music scene looked completely unlike it does now. His description of shows ‘back in the day’ completely blew my mind.
He talks about how music (and vitamin D) helped him overcome a period of burnout, the differences in being a sound engineer in studio vs in live venues, how mentorship is interconnected with his vision of entrepreneurship, and how he’s evolved his business to be able to be more hands-on with his kids.

In his own words, Romario says that being behind the mixing desk is the closest you can get to being on stage. His passion for live sound and his determination to make artists sound their best onstage is truly an inspiration.

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Live performance veteran Lady J is having conversations with music industry professionals about what makes and sustains a career as a musician.
If you're looking to:

get your first gig
get better gigs
make your gigs more fulfilling and financially rewarding

Get practical advice from people who believe live music matters.
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Follow Lady J:

ladyjmusic.com
Lady J's Instagram: @ladyjmusic
Lady J's Substack: @ladyjmusic
Lady J's YouTube: @ladyjmusicdubai

Follow Romario:

Romario's Instagram: @romariofernando
Amplitude's Instagram: @amplitude_ae
Fat Randall's Instagram: @fatrandall

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