Today, we’d like to introduce you to Victorino.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m an artist/musician from Southwest Detroit, aka Mexicantown.
I’m half Ojibwe, half Mexican. I was adopted as a child, so growing up, I was exposed to many different kinds of music. My mom would listen to alternative, rock, and traditional Native American music, while my dad listened to mostly hip hop, R&B & Latin music.
As a child, I used to draw a lot, so I knew I wanted to be someone who expressed their creativity and could make a living off it. It wasn’t until high school that music had a real hold on me like it does now. I’m a self-taught guitarist, and I write all of my songs.
I wrote and recorded my first song right around when I was 17 years old, but it didn’t officially drop til I was 24. I’ve been releasing music ever since 2020.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the challenges I’ve faced was just putting myself out there in an art form where I felt most vulnerable.
Music is how I communicate with the world around me; I’m actually not that great at talking. As a kid, I was very shy & quiet. Always kept to myself, even if something traumatized me. Music has given me a voice, whether it be strumming guitar or singing/rapping.
I realized the power that I had when I wrote my song “Made of Glass,” which is a song I wrote about someone very close and how they made me feel for a long time. I remember seeing people cry when I performed that song, and that’s when I figured that my music was actually helping people in a way. I couldn’t do this just to be doing this anymore.
It was an amazing feeling knowing someone else could feel or even relate to what I was saying. I hope that I can speak to and help people who are afraid to speak their minds and hear what’s on their hearts.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a rapper, singer, & guitarist. Style-wise, I’d say I’m very eclectic. Most of my songs fall into the alternative, rock, and hip-hop genres. There’s also reggaeton, lofi, emo, pop, salsa, and even jazz sprinkled into my catalog.
But if I had to say, I’d definitely say that straight-up rapping is what I’m known for best. I’m very proud of the fact that I’m able to share my story with so many people around the world and have them connect to it in some way. I know I have a few dedicated fans in Australia and the UK, and I hope to meet them one day.
I think what sets me apart from others is my ability to be extremely versatile. I think it genuinely shocks people when people hear me in a completely different genre, which is funny to me because I love to show off how much I love music through various styles.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters the most to me is the message I put out to the world. I feel that the world has a tendency to show off how hopeless and negative it is around us, and I feel we, as human beings, are drawn to that dark side in some way.
I don’t want to be somebody making music only for fun or to make money the center of their life. I hope to show that there is a light in the darkness. You are not alone in the way that you feel.
Someone is always there to listen, even when you think there’s not.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gridlnk.com/gl/victorino_313
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victorino.313?igsh=MWtjcnQwZmV0Mnpzbw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victohseetoh?mibextid=uzlsIk
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@victorino.313?si=KFVrEkbw9hQsykqn
Image Credits
Joseph Ramos, Christopher Danko, Jr., Freddy Torres, Alan Aperature, Domingo Cortez, and Xavier Cuevas
