Meet Raffy Piamonte | Civil Engineer, DJ & MC

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

Hi Raffy, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
Although I was born in NorCal, I credit much of my upbringing and personal growth to my time in San Diego. At a young age, I was consistently encouraged by family and friends to explore different artistic sides of myself. That support led me to join competitive dance teams, play in marching band and wind ensembles throughout middle and high school, and even dive into Filipino cultural dance through my high school’s Fil-Am club.

Having safe spaces to express, learn, and explore that creative side inspired me to help others do the same. Throughout my 20s and into my 30s, I found myself stepping into those roles—whether it was directing dance for a nonprofit youth company called Mighty Shock (part of the larger Culture Shock Los Angeles family) or volunteering as a mentor for aspiring DJs through Orange County’s Academy of DJs.

I’ve never been one to feel like I’ve mastered these creative spaces I find myself in—but I often think back to my days in San Diego and the friends who encouraged me in those vulnerable spaces. That’s the kind of impact I hope to make: helping others feel that same sense of comfort and safety in creative environments. Growth requires space to mess up, to fall, to fail—and I genuinely love being that space for others to do just that.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being a civil engineer during the week and a DJ/MC on the weekends has definitely made life interesting over the past 10 years. But honestly, I’m not sure it sets me apart all that much. Among my peers, I’ve met plenty of folks who hold down a 9-to-5 and pursue something creative on the side. If anything, it’s been inspiring just trying to keep up with them.

That said, juggling two completely different worlds—engineering and DJing—does require tapping into totally different kinds of energy and focus. Once I started taking DJing more seriously, friends and family began reaching out to book me for events and parties. It was hard to say no, but I also knew that if I committed, I had to be fully prepared for whatever they were trusting me with.

Early on, time management was the biggest challenge: finding hours to prep for gigs, booking enough events to sustain the DJ hustle, and still having enough gas in the tank for engineering work during the week. Hard work wasn’t enough, I had to work smarter. So I started building systems: taking detailed notes for every event, investing in the right gear (and backups), and figuring out how to be ready for anything.

The game changer for me? DJing with friends I trusted. Suddenly, everything was way more fun, and when I was having fun, it was a wrap.

That energy led to starting a business with friends called the CLLCTIVE, where we offered DJ, MC, photo, and video services under one umbrella. We ended up doing a ton of gigs together and built something really special for a few years before life pulled us toward other ventures.

More recently, I partnered up with my friend Jasper Hsieh of Bilo Events. Over the past two years, the team has grown to offer DJ, MC, photo, video, photo booth, event coordination, and now floral services! Through it all, the one thing I’ve tried to maintain is that same energy: working with people we enjoy and trust. It’s been the key to both our success and maintaing the mental stamina it takes to keep a passion project like this going.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
You’re asking me at a time where I’m obsessed with my golf game, so I’d probably plan a whole golf trip!

But for family and friends that come into town, I take them to San Gabriel Valley for hikes in the foothills, Old Town Pasadena, and grub on some of the best asian food you’ll get your hands on. Some of my favorites are Ipoh Kopitiam, Golden Deli, Pho Filet, 101 Noodle Express, and Menya Hanabi.

If we end up in KTown, can’t go wrong with most restaurants for korean food, but it would be a missed opportunity if I didn’t shoutout Open Market for conjuring up some of the best sandwiches, crafted drinks and a careful curated collection of wines a person can find in LA

Arts District is one of me and my wife’s favorites spots for date nights: you can visit Sampa LA and dive into some fine Filipino Dining, then make your way to Truly LA or Angel City Brewery for a night cap, where a lot of my team from Bilo Events can be found spinnin’ on Friday and Saturday Nights.

Lastly, as a San Diego native, I’m always craving carne asada fries, a california burrito and some rolled tacos. If anyone in the greater LA/OC area is ever in need of a fix, I promise you that Cali Tacos in Santa Ana/Orange is the move.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I can’t tell my story without mentioning my parents, my sister and my wife. Collectively, as the core of my village, they’ve paved the way in different capacities to influence who I am today.

My pops, he’s a problem solver: if there’s a will, there’s a way, and sometimes to my own fault and stubbornness, I can’t let something go until I know I’ve given it my best shot. I try to emulate as much of this from my pops as I can.

My mom, she’s the entertainer. Whether it was singing at church or dancing at family parties, anything that involved the limelight involved my mom, no doubt. While I still get nervous around others, the confidence I’ve gained being in these situations has my mom’s influence written all over it.

My sister, it has to be her work ethic. Being truthful, my work ethic pales in comparison to hers, but its something that inspires me and reminds me that hard work can go a really, really long way.

Lastly, it would be a missed opportunity if I didn’t mention my wife. She’s been supportive of all my endeavors and has been there from day one.

Other mentions, I have to show love to my Culture Shock Los Angeles family, the staff, students and alumni at Academy of DJs, the CLLCTIVE, and Bilo Events.

Website: https://biloevents.com

Instagram: @raffypiamonte

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

Twitter: @raffypiamonte

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/rpmmusic

Yelp: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafaelpiamonte

Image Credits
Eric Bondoc, Rob Banaga,