Auggie Velarde’s family moved to the US, bringing nothing with them but dreams of living a content and secure life together. Auggie was brought up with the idea that anything is possible, which he carried over to his adult life. Now, from being a Peruvian immigrant whose future was uncertain, he has become a well-known singer and songwriter because he trusted the process.
When he was young, Auggie already felt a special connection to music, and around the same time, he discovered the internet. However, as he grew up and started showing musical brilliance, any plans of pursuing a career in this field were discouraged right away. Auggie remained determined despite the lack of enthusiasm towards music by the people around him, and he started living a double life.
Since his teenage years, Auggie was always fond of technology, and the ability of computers to help him create music was a bonus. While learning how to make music through the computer, he also taught himself about coding, which led him to become a software engineer and a tech entrepreneur. However, very few people knew about Auggie’s life as a musician, which he uses as his means of creative expression.
In 2018, Auggie won the TUMI USA Award, which recognizes the milestones of Peruvian immigrants by overcoming challenges on their way to success. He’s also a winner of the Louder.me Summer League Final Tournament in 2019 and the “From Bed Production to Stage” Electronic Music Residency Program in 2020. Auggie was featured on TIDAL’s “Trap del Sur” editorial playlist and as SoundCloud’s selected artist for LatinX month.
Auggie believes that life takes its own course, and it took him quite some time to figure out what he really wanted to pursue. He spent many years in school and working, later realizing that a big part of his life had been dictated by societal expectations. Conventional success tells people to finish school, get a job, maintain employment, and retire, but Auggie wanted to get out of the rat race.
Auggie’s irresistible urge to explore his artistic side and pursue his musical dreams made him make tough decisions. He disconnected from anything and anyone that held him back from his dream and his own pursuit of happiness. He left his job, avoided toxic people, and broke some bad habits he had been doing all his life. Auggie thought he had to lose a lot to gain a lot in return, and so he did.
One of Auggie’s dreams as a musician is to collaborate with some big names in the industry. He hopes to work with his musical heroes and mesh his unique taste in music with their own classic sounds. Auggie’s fans can check out his awesome set of tracks through Apple Music, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
The name Auggie Velarde should be watched out for not only by Latin music fans but for general music lovers too. His success is slowly seeing some light, as he’s gradually gaining a strong following on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Auggie hopes to go back home to Peru as a famous performer, which he considers would be the highlight of his career.
