Harish (Stephan) Pitamber | CrownVibe Audio Visual | Age 25
Scarborough, Ontario - Canada
Vibe, please tell us about yourself.
Hey, my name is Stephan (Harish), but most people know me as "Vibe."
Im so hyped to tell you guys a bit about my journey; however, this is the first time I’ve done an autobiography type of thing, so bear with me as I try to summarize it the best I can!
I'm a full-time Live Mixing Engineer and an Audio Visual technician.
I currently run my own start-up company CrownVibe AV (formerly known as Vibe Audio Toronto), specializing in small to medium size concert & event production, including lighting, LED screens, sound, backline, staging, and trussing.
I started my journey as a remixer on Acid Pro 6 when I was around 13 (2010). Back then, being a remixer in my neighborhood meant you were somehow popular in the West Indian community if you were good at it, so I thought I might as well give it a try.
I learned from the local guys like, Mr. Jay, Killer Flex, King Rick (Thunderball),
Mr. Destructive and General Vybz, to name a few.
Eventually, my mom, a local singer, took notice and asked me to help her record and produce some songs for her Album. So as a 14-year-old, using my little temple music background, I tried to create some horribly put-together productions and slapped them on a CD. Obviously, since then though, I was lucky to have a few good mentors who definitely helped me get better.
At the same time, around 14, for some reason, I assume by just being a part of the culture, I was extremely haunted to become a DJ, so I said if going to do this, I'm going to the best damn DJ in Scarborough, who happened to be one of my closest friends till this day DJ FyahBlaziin. So I met him at Guyana Day in 2012 and asked him to help me get some music and CDJs; the rest is history.
While I tried to be a Remixer, Producer & DJ all at the same time, I ended up meeting an insane amount of talented people and made a lot of friends in our small West Indian music/entertainment industry.
I wasn't that great at the time, but I genuinely had fun doing all three. I didn't realize it then, but those horrible mixes, failed productions and flopped DJ bookings taught me lessons I still remember to this day.
A few years passed, and I started to get more into the DJ industry. I was the tech guy for our sound crew, setting up lights, speakers, etc. My mom also started getting more bookings to sing at weddings, religious functions, etc., so I had to be her tech as well. This is basically how my journey to becoming a Mixing Engineer and Audio Visual Technician started.
Over the years, I preferred being behind the scenes running shows, making things sound & look nice. I ended up being in charge of most of the cultural shows and events in my community and doing most of the tech work for my industry friends.
As I grew, I had to make the difficult decision of leaving my other three passions and focusing on my new thing as an Audio Visual technician.
It was a hard choice, but I've never looked back since. I still DJ, Remix and Produce for fun here and there, but I dedicate most of my time to the AV side of the industry, where I made my mark and built my reputation.
Over the years, I've participated in hundreds of events, shows, concerts, & weddings. I had solidified myself as a mixing engineer, mixing for some major artists in our community and working alongside a few of the world's most badass engineers, musicians, and AV techs.
Recently, I had some opportunities to travel and work on large-scale productions alongside my new mentor Vishnu Harripersad
I've done some things I've only ever dreamt about as a kid; I've met people I never thought I'd ever meet and seen things I've only seen in videos.
I'm living my dream, but there's still so much more to experience and learn, and I can't wait to see where the journey takes me next!
Great! What are you inspired by?
I'm inspired by the fact that, in our community, "doing music" or anything related is usually frowned upon as a full-time professional career. My path isn't ideal for a first-generation immigrant, especially considering the job security and risks involved; initially, my parents did not approve at all.
Still, that inspired me to work harder to prove to my family that this industry has more opportunities than you would expect. Nowadays, people around me are amazed by some of the opportunities and events I've been a part of, and it makes me glad that I was able to show them there is genuine value in this industry.
Nowadays, my biggest motivator is inspiring the kids who want to enter this industry but are deferred by those same factors or similar.
What is the most important factor behind your success?
It's believing in constructive criticism and the willingness to take feedback and improve upon it. So many try to ignore their "haters," but I try to find the truth in what they're saying, whether I believe it's true or not. Sometimes it takes one person to say what everyone else is feeling. Understanding the difference between genuine feedback and a "hater" is an essential skill. There's always more to learn and ways to improve.
Amazing, what is the best advice someone ever gave you?
"Everyone's crazy until they do it."
"Your execution, research and drive is the problem, not the idea. If you were to tell your parents you were leaving to sell toilet paper, they would think you're insane, but someone out there did and made millions doing so."
"Those days where you decide not to get up and hustle, someone else is, and that person will always be ahead of you. So stop doing them a favor."
"Being broke is temporary; being poor is a mindset."
Special Shoutouts:
My Parents - Angie & Steve Pitamber
The first person to believe in me as a mixing engineer - Ravi Sookhoo
My current mentor - Vishnu Harripersad
Aliya John - For sticking by me for 8 years, supporting me and doing so much behind the scenes work to make our business what it is today.
First Sound Crew - ThunderBall Sound Crew - DJ Fyahblaziin, DJ Highpower, King Rick, Mr Jay, & Thunderball
First Band - Robin Singh, Devin Ramoutar, Nathan Khan.
The entire CrownVibe AV team!
As well as everyone who has supported me throughout my lil journey and those who continue to do so, I appreciate you and your support does more for me than you could ever know!
Is there anything you currently have in the works or any recent accomplishments you'd like to brief the audience about?
I recently toured in Trinidad with MSI (Power For Rent Sound Plus) during the 2023 carnival season. I learned more there in 3 months than I would have learned here in Toronto in 3 years! It was my first time experiencing anything close to that, and it was surreal.
At last, any advice for the readers?
"Don't be trapped living with the result of other people's thinking."
Find something you love to do so much that you can’t wait for the next day to do it all over again. You'll be impressed with how motivated you instantly become when you do things for yourself rather than for someone else.
Contact Vibe:
Instagram - @DJVibeToronto
Facebook - Harish Pitamber
Email - CrownVibeAV@gmail.com
Credits:
Story By: Navendra "NaviTheRemixer" Boodhan