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Lifestyles Profile - Rafael A. Nazario By Josef Kandoll W. There are those who call Rafael Nazario a modern Renaissance man. When I mentioned this to him, he laughed before answering, “Who said that?” Nonetheless, he admits to being, at the moment, a single father, a musician, a composer, a writer, a restaurateur, a chef and a wine specialist. During his five years at Daiquiri Dick’s as manager and executive chef, he also has produced a CD entitled “Patria Añorada,” and earlier this year, Nazario performed his fusion jazz at two free concerts for his growing public. Combining his interest in cooking with storytelling and writing, he also produced “Sand in Your Shoes,” a rendition of his love for doing all of them well. The book and CD are available both at the restaurant and at Amazon.com. “I’ve had, let’s see, seven phases in my life so far.” Born in Puerto Rico, then living on the east coast in the USA, Nazario moved back to “PR” with his family while still a youngster. “It took me years to realize the confusion that caused for me. In the USA I was really at home, then back in PR I was out of step completely. It wasn’t, really, until I moved to Mexico that I started to make sense of my Latino roots. “So in a way, my best years have been since coming here. I’m getting a handle on who I am and what I want to do. Really, I want to do it all. I realize in a way that there are things that I can do better, and I concentrate on those. I grew up with a lot of negatives, being told things I couldn’t do. Nay-sayers project their own fears onto others. “Most people who leave anywhere are already different. Going off into the unknown gives a measure of what they are. They’re testing themselves. Those who have gone through challenges have a better understanding not only of themselves but of others. If you know who you are, you can give your kids that sense of self-possession. “I’ve done a lot of things in my life. But my biggest accomplishment is the growth I’ve been able to do internally. I’m more serious now, but I also know better how and when to play.”

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