Meet Pàppa D. | Pàppa D. | Artist | Songwriter | Multi-Instrumentalist | Dancer

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

Hi Pàppa, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
My Choice of starting to go through all the stages of my needs, being able to wear a lot of hats and be my own team, held a strong role in the evolution of my career. Like a chef, starting from the lowest position in the kitchen, and working their way up the ladder, passing through all the positions, I felt that was extremely crucial for my music to start being completely led and regulated by myself. Actions regarding promotions, social platforms, presence in the press, booking, finances, to the actual music, from lyrics, songs, production, mixing and mastering, to the artwork and rights towards the release, publishing right and everything else, owned and regulated by myself. The most important realization I had is that I am a brand, in addition to being an artist and that the game is played with both the great music and also the media presence.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Being a musician is one thing. Being a multi-instrumentalist is another. Being an artist, who is able to express themselves through a variety of instruments, put words side by side and create memorable melodies, and has a vision about the mood that each individual composition sets, on a sonic, visual, and multi-layered way is the thing that sets artists apart. I found a curse in that ability for the majority of my life, where doing many things and being able to express my self in so many different ways, genres and setups, was considered an act of indecisiveness. It took a great amount of time, reflection, and hard work on every individual component on my behalf, to understand that as an artist I have the expression, the voice, the vision. As far as the instrument, whether it is the piano, guitar, trumpet, drums or my own voice, or the style, whether it is jazz, classical, cinematic, pop-rock, soul or funk, the mood and desire of the muse, with me being nothing but a servant to it, a trusting man, following a voice saying that there is light on and at the end of this trail. That left things way more open, removed boundaries, and took away unnecessary pressure for a need to fit in or sense of direction. Everything simply moves forward, towards one and only purpose: Express myself through arts, with music being in the forefront. I am proud to say that I maintained my artistry and my identity, even in a broader sense, and I didn’t compromise my sound, for what’s considered “catchy” or “trendy”. That surely, brought along with it some difficulties, being hard for people to follow your vision, or not appear relatable, but in the long run, it is the most satisfying part of the way: Knowing that you did what the muse was dictating. I take great pride in my involvement with classical music, so the passion and the work ethic of this genre, has definitely been imprinted in my songs, film-scores and compositions, and it is very hard to miss or ignore. The music is pure, delicate, mellow, bare, innocent yet fierce, complex, intricate, challenging, and unique.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This trip would probably be the best time of their lives! A week cannot start wrong if it is with a dance at Madilyn Clark Studios, followed by a fantastic lunch at the iconic family owned dinner in the valley, called “Nat’s Early Bite”. Hanging around in the valley, the adventure continues with some thrift shopping (My main way of buying clothes). Some good spots for that would be 2nd street, Buffalo exchange, American vintage and goodwill. The day wraps up in a beautiful way with a walk in the Santa Monica pier and a show in LA (Tr!p, Gold-diggers) or open mic in Laurel Canyon, at the iconic Kulak’s Woodshed. The week continues with must see locations and bars, starting from Griffith observatory, old Hollywood and the paramount studios, Long Beach and the OC area, Pasadena, downtown LA for bars like “The Stowaway” and “Rhythm Room”, and open mics, karaoke nights (Paoli’s), comedy (The Third Wheel) and shows in iconic venues like the “Roxy”, “whiskey a go-go”, “the mint”, “viper’s room”, or “the troubadour”. A night ends in the most delightful way with a quick (or not) bite at the iconic deli-diner “Canter’s” on Fairfax. Bonus, if there’s time available to explore Malibu and the northern side, or universal studios and Disneyland. What a lovely week that would be!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This Interview would be incomplete without the acknowledgment of a few people along the way who held a strong role in my development, determination, and pursuit of my dreams and goals. From the household itself, where a young man from Greece saw himself coming to America and taking actions upon things that everybody in his surrounding thought impossible, family is the true beginning and who kept it going. Even with the financial support not always being available, the love I received from my greater family (Parents, sister, grandparents) was truly pivotal to my continuation. Friends, from back home, proud of me pursuing my dreams, who kept supporting me whenever I was in need. Sometimes all you need is someone to talk to, to tell you it’s alright, and that’s sometimes very hard to find. My mentors, both back in Greece, and in my times at Berklee College of Music, guided me through all the obstacles, helped me realize my talents, pointed me in the right directions, and made it almost impossible for me to excel otherwise. Currently, my greatest support and love is credited to my lovely life partner and spouse, Taylor, who is there for me, through all my difficulties, adjustment in the new city, but also mental and creative decisions. I do have to thank my intuition, trusting myself and the process, and realizing that if something is no longer there, it is because it was never yours. Being flexible, dreaming big, and finally, working towards these dreams and goals, with only mattering the day to day improvement. The people in our lives play a crucial part to our development, but if a vision is haunting you in your sleep every night, it’s you who has to make it come to life. This is a big responsibility, but understanding that I have the power over that, is something that i feel very grateful for, hence the credit to my persistence and perseverance.

Website: https://dimitriopappa.wixsite.com/option3

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pappadmusic/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pappad/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pappadmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pappadmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Pappadmusic

Other: Bandcamp : https://pappad.bandcamp.com/ Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/4d86XPzaUsFxHHbvKhXl9F?si=wPIkEwpUSb2KaOtrN9_ncw Apple Music : https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dimitrio-pappa/1544118845 Amazon Music : https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B0B91F3W21/p%C3%A0ppa-d Soundcloud : https://soundcloud.com/pappadmusic Tik-Tok : https://www.tiktok.com/@dimitriopappamusic

Image Credits
@Self