Mi Musica, Mi Vision

Ralph “BigRaffy” Andy Andujar
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Musician • Creator • Innovator • Cultural Bridge

Born September 5, 1971, in Jersey City, New Jersey, Ralph Andy Andujar—known to the world as BigRaffy—is a proud Dominican-American artist, musician, and visionary.

The son of Iluminada Fernández and Rafael Andujar, Ralph grew up in a vibrant, music-filled household where rhythm was as essential as breathing. Both parents, along with a lineage of gifted relatives, ignited his lifelong love affair with music.
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Roots of Rhythm
Ralph’s earliest memories are scored to a rich soundtrack of American hip-hop, disco, pop, and rock, while the sounds of merengue and salsa pulsed through his Dominican upbringing. Icons like Ricardo José, Johnny Ventura, Wilfrido Vargas, Fernandito Villalona, and Chiche Abreu filled the air, while his family shaped his musical DNA.

His uncle Juan, a professional trumpet player, and uncle Hector, a bongo player, schooled him in the art of salsa.

His uncle Rafelo, a dancer, and his grandfather, a guitarist-singer, modeled the power of performance.

His mother and *aunt Maritza, both gospel singers, nurtured his natural vocal instincts.
This multi-genre immersion—Latin, gospel, hip-hop, and rock—created the foundation for the fearless musical explorer he would become.
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The Jersey City Streets: Hip-Hop, DJ Battles, and Breakdance
As a teenager, Ralph dove into Jersey City’s thriving hip-hop scene, soaking up the sounds of Run DMC, LL Cool J, Tribe Called Quest, Cool Moe Dee, Craig Mack, Chubb Rock, Big Pun, and more.
He earned the tag name “Ralphy Lee” as a private party DJ, spinning beats for local gangs and live battles before trading street life for the high-flying art of breakdancing.

With crews like Rock With Class, Duncan Dancers, Bergen B-Boys, and Wayne Street Rockers, Ralph battled and danced through the dangerous yet electrifying nights of 1980s Jersey—a time he calls “wild, unforgettable, and life-changing.”
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The Spark of Latin Music
While hip-hop ruled his early years, Dominican percussion eventually stole his heart. In high school, Ralph met José Antonio Ramírez, a young güirero whose mastery of the instrument amazed him, and later Orlando Peña, another local percussionist and dancer. Days turned into nights of relentless practice, with Ralph perfecting conga, tambora, güira, maracas, and vocals—living and breathing music seven days a week.

His first live band experience came with Galaxia, a Jersey City group where he debuted as a conga player. Though he admits he was still learning, the stage became his classroom. A humbling moment came when Galaxia was thrown offstage while opening for the late
Ruddy Perez at New York’s legendary club Voices. Rather than defeat him, it became a critical lesson in professionalism and perseverance.
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A Choir in the Mountains
A twist of fate came when his mother enrolled him in a boarding school in Grundy, Virginia. There, deep in the rural South, Ralph was required to join the school’s gospel choir—a move that unexpectedly sharpened his vocal skills and introduced him to piano. Roommates exposed him to metal, rock, and country, further expanding his musical vocabulary.

After four years, restless for the city’s pulse, Ralph left the school and returned to Jersey, where he plunged head first into Latin music, honing his craft with local musicians and learning to command the stage.
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The 1980s Dominican Explosion
The 1980s were a golden era for Dominican talent in Jersey City and New York, and Ralph was surrounded by greatness.
He played with bands such as Miguel Payano, Hermanos Velez, Los Dandy’s del Merengue, and Salsa Band Seducción. His aunt owned the famed NYC club Casa Quisqueya, where Ralph mingled with merengue royalty like Victor Roque, New York Band, Grupo Commando, Banda Loca, Reyes del Caribe, and Alex Bueno. His cousin Ernesto Fernández, a singer and dancer with The Street Band, kept music in the family’s bloodstream.

At 17, Ralph made his first attempt to create his own band, Raffybanda, teaming up with piano prodigy Kevin Rodríguez. Though youth and inexperience held the project back, it introduced him to influential figures like *Raul Acosta* (Oro Solido), Ivan Acosta, and members of Hermanos Velez—who had worked with the legendary Ramon Orlando. Watching these masters perform with such professionalism lit a fire in Ralph that still burns today.
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Miami Heat & Merengue Mastery
Drawn by the rhythms of Calle Ocho, Ralph relocated to Miami, Florida, where he joined Tito y La Gran Unión* as a tamborero. Over the next decade, he performed with premier merengue groups, including Jay Fernández, Candela Band, Banda Can, Rey Polanco, and Orquesta de Miguel Ángel, and recorded with artist Oro Negro on the album Oro Negro Pa’ Gozar.
In Miami, he absorbed the professionalism of top musicians like Jackson Fonduer, learning studio techniques and stagecraft while witnessing the explosive energy of acts like Tony Tatis y Su Merengue Sound.
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Orlando & the Birth of Takicardia
After years in Miami, Ralph moved to Orlando, Florida, where he joined projects such as Boy Swing* with producer Randull Reyes. He invested in one of the first fully equipped Dominican-owned recording studios in Central Florida, but the lack of brass players delayed his dream of forming his own band.

A pivotal trip to the Dominican Republic changed everything. Witnessing the raw street energy of Richie Banda X and the innovative sound of Barimambo, Ralph returned to Orlando inspired to create Takicardia—a hard-hitting, street-style merengue band. As the lead singer, he commanded crowds with a powerhouse lineup that included Randull Reyes, Lewis, Juan Swing, William B, Cesar V, David G, Edwin “Wada” (RIP), Choco, Petete, and manager Jesús “Coche” Salas.
Takicardia quickly became a Central Florida sensation, cementing Ralph’s reputation as a fearless innovator.
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The Bachata Revolution: Bachata Nice
During the COVID era, Ralph saw an opportunity to reinvent himself once more. Teaming up with Randull Reyes, he arranged a Spanglish bachata cover of Stevie B’s 80s freestyle hit “Spring Love”—a turning point that sparked his passion for the genre.

From this inspiration emerged Bachata Nice, a groundbreaking project fusing bilingual Spanglish lyrics, urban American beats, and Dominican island soul.

> “Bachata, like much of Latin music, has been afraid of change,” Ralph says. “It’s time to give fans something bold and new—music that respects tradition but dares to explore.”
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South Texas: The Next Frontier
After launching Bachata Nice in Orlando, Ralph sought new territory—markets hungry for entertainment and overflowing with talent. His journey led him to South Texas, including San Antonio (SATX) and the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), a region ripe for fresh sounds and
cultural fusion.

Here, The Lab Studio now serves as the creative headquarters of bigraffy Music, where Ralph is preparing to introduce his revolution to the world. In partnership with LANDR Music Distribution, he continues to release his work as a fully independent, unsigned artist, driven by an uncompromising mission to motivate, innovate, and inspire the music industry.

This chapter is deeply personal. Ralph gives heartfelt thanks to his wife, Raquel Amargos Andujar, for her unwavering support, patience, and belief in his multi-year journey—“my rock and #1 fan, for now,” he jokes. He also honors the professional musicians and guest singers from Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Spain, Miami, and California who have recorded remotely, stayed on budget, and brought his music to life.
Special recognition goes to Andres R. Calcano, pianist and assistant arranger, for his creative partnership.
> “It’s been hard, but we made it—and we’re not done. This is only the beginning, ten years in the making and counting.”
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Legacy & Mission
Today, after more than 40 years in music, Ralph “bigraffy” Andujar stands as a true musical alchemist—a man who transforms cultures, rhythms, and languages into a sound that is unmistakably his own.

From the streets of Jersey City to the studios of Orlando and now the stages of South Texas, his journey is a testament to perseverance, reinvention, and the belief that music is a universal language.

> “I don’t just play music,” Ralph declares. “I create experiences. I want fans—Latino or not—to feel something new, something honest, something alive.”


The Revolution has only begun
bigraffy Music is here to stay
Let’s go.