We thought it would be fun to get to know a little bit more about our Anthology Artists so we've asked them to participate in a Q&A. Here's the "Quick Six" with Anthology Artist Ralfy "FaFa" Valencia:
1. First concert you attended?
My father and uncle are both pro musicians so i was lucky enough to grow up watching them work with tons of different artists. But one of the first concerts I ever officially attended was 311. I was in high school. They absolutely crushed it and left me super inspired. Oddly enough, about 15 yrs later, while playing bass for Gym Class Heroes, I found myself on tour with them and got to know them as friends. We played poker every night after our shows and I got to tell them how impactful they were to me over the years. :)
2. How old were you when you started playing the bass?
I started playing bass in the 7th grade so I was around 12-13 years old. My dad caught me trying to play power chords and Nirvana guitar riffs on his bass and he told me if I was gonna pick up his bass, I needed to learn how to play it. He started giving me lessons from then on.
3. Venue you would love to play at (or a dream venue that you have already played at)?
Red Rocks Amphitheater was a huge bucket list venue for me . And I recently got to play there last summer with Pitbull for our Cant Stop Us Now Tour :) !!
4. Artist or song you are into most right now?
I’ve really been into Khruangbin lately :)
5. Do you have any pre-show rituals or superstitions?
Every night for our 52 city tour with Pitbull the band crew and dancers would meet side stage at 9pm on the dot to take shots of bourbon with our monitor engineer Matt Holden (a tradition started by him). We would all huddle up and cheers before every single show. It brought us closer together and took the edge off before hitting the stage.
6. Who has inspired you most as a musician?
The biggest inspiration / influence for me as a musician since day one has been my father Rafael “California” Valencia and my uncle Camilo Valencia. They have done and continue to do so much for me.
Follow Ralfy "FaFa" Valencia on Instagram @_ralfyv_
Check out Ralfy's Anthology Artist Page