Meet Yissel Cabrera | DJ & Music Reporter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yissel Cabrera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yissel, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Art has been part of my life since very young… literally. In elementary school, while my peers & friends were taking ballet, karate or soccer classes, I was being dragged to art / painting classes. (I say drag, because that’s what it felt like. A hobby chosen for me, not by me.) Looking back now, I’m not mad at all for it. I think at a very early age, that helped mold me into an artistic person I otherwise wouldn’t have been. So, I wasn’t the most atheletic growing up but my drawing lessons were teaching me other lessons you don’t get from a coach. It was teaching me to be creative, to see everything with an artistic eye, to appreciate art & aesthetics. That was instilled into my DNA so yea, I could never feel passionately about pursuing a career that didn’t allow or encourage me to use my creativity to it’s fullest potential.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a DJ and entrepreneur really, I had to start my career & business from the ground up. There were no hand outs or manuals. There were certainly a lot of challenges, but the biggest one was overcoming the self-doubt that can sometimes steer you off course. You question whether you’re good enough, whether it’s all worth it. And what I think I’m most proud of, is to honestly say that those thoughts don’t ever haunt me today.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There’s so much to do here… I mean where do I even begin?! To keep this brief, I’ll just name a few of my favorite places and spare you my lengthy recommendations at each. I’m a foodie, so some of my favorite hidden gems are: Cafe Avanti, Silverlake Bistro, Mama Joon For food & ambiance: Makoto, Chica, Swan, Byblos , & Carbone (that just recently opened south of fifth) For cocktails & dancing: Faena, The Edition, Surf Club

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I hate to limit this to one person (Team work makes the dream work, right?!) I’m going to dedicate this shoutout to one of my former bosses & long time friends, Angel Sanchez, who always believed in my potential and pushed me like no one else.

Website: www.soundsbyyissel.com

Instagram: @soundsbyyissel

Twitter: /Soundsbyyissel

Facebook: /Soundsbyyissel

Other: Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/soundsbyyissel Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/soundsbyyissel/

Image Credits
@drives / dylan rives (Only 1st two)