Been a while and am glad to be back to writing. In this feature I write about someone who is not
only in music but has personally inspired me. Her name is Sharon Aguilar Kamide (I will
address her simply as Sharon in my best Ozzy Osbourne voice because I’m positive she just
loves that). If you don’t know her and have never seen her and her husband Dana perform, you
should do that. While Dana is an equally awesome performer, this column pays tribute to
inspirational women so…sorry Dana, but I still think you are awesome.
The very first time I met Sharon, she and Dana were playing at the 31 Supper Club. Dana was
ripping the keyboard and singing like he had been performing his entire life. Then, there was
Sharon, who picked up her electric guitar, put on her dark shades and shredded it unlike any
woman I had ever seen. That night she played some of the best Santana I had ever heard. I’m
not sure Carlos could outplay her. She then grabbed her violin and began playing “Devil Went
Down to Georgia” – to perfection. She would have beaten the devil, hands down. Being
someone who plays the piano but never mastered the guitar due to my egregious lack of patience,
I enjoyed every second of these two. Um, Lita Ford, I’m so sorry but you are no longer my
favorite female guitarist.
After the show was over, I walked over to Sharon, totally interrupted her conversation with
someone else, and said, “you were awesome” and quickly walked away. Given that I am not a
shy person at all, I was surprised I said it so sheepishly, as if I were that the star-struck girl I was
when I met Scott Ian of Anthrax or, that one time recently that I met Aisha Tyler at the airport in
Denver, an experience that my man and I still laugh about. We stuck around until the show
ended, at which point Sharon walked over and sat next to me and I proceeded to spill my entire
life story in just under ten minutes. I was so comfortable in her presence, and she is not just
beautiful outside, and extremely talented, she is a beautiful person inside as well. So, without
further rambling, what follows is what I learned from Sharon about the killer life she made for
herself, and no one deserves that more than her.
Sharon was born in Panama City, Panama, the daughter of a music lover who enjoyed playing
the guitar and first inspired her love of the instrument. Her dad brought home an electric guitar
when Sharon was just nine years old, and I can just see that cute little Sharon when she held that
instrument and made that pivotal decision, “I want to play this.” Despite taking acoustic guitar
lessons, she was not interested in settling for playing “hot cross buns” on an acoustic guitar. Her
goal was to get her hands on that electric guitar. Then, while in a magnet school at the age of
twelve, Sharon came across the violin. She was delighted when she was allowed to take the
violin home from school, where she practiced and learned how to play it beautifully. With the
inspiration gifted to her by her dad, coupled with classic rock influences Jimmy Page and David
Gilmour, there was no doubt Sharon would sooner or later perfect the electric guitar.
Knowing at a young age what she wanted to do, she packed up her instruments and left Florida,
moving to Los Angeles, California and playing gigs on Sunset Boulevard for two and a half
years. I can only imagine how scary it must have been to pick up and move clear across the
country, but this is how certain she was that her dreams would come true, and she wasn’t wrong.
After performing different gigs, Sharon decided to attend the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood,
California, in search of new opportunities. Those did not take long to arrive. Before her first
day of class, Sharon was asked to audition to play the violin for P Diddy (Sean Combs) – who all
of us 80s girls still call Puff Daddy. She was selected and performed with P Diddy on American
Idol!
Only six weeks into her tenure at the Musician’s Institute, Sharon was asked to audition to play
in an all-girl band who would be touring with CeeLo Green. She was selected, and a three-
month tour turned into a two-year long tour with CeeLo. One of Sharon’s favorite sayings
“preparation meets opportunity” (spoken like a true fellow Capricorn) had served her well and
she powered right through any doubt and uncomfortableness in her path to achieving her goals.
She has met amazing, talented, famous people, all while doing what she loves. When I asked
Sharon what moment stood out for her, she told me that during her tour with CeeLo Green she
had the chance to play with the legendary Prince in a sound check and then open for him at
Madison Square Garden. She said he was just as cool as his tall light-up go-go boots were.
We also spoke about Sharon’s time touring with the K-pop band 2NE1, where she had the
opportunity to tour Asia, including Singapore and Japan. Sharon also opened for the Foo
Fighters at Wembley and has played with a litany of other amazing performers.
During her touring hiatus, while visiting Las Vegas, Sharon met her soulmate and husband,
Dana, who offered her a position performing with him at the Venetian in Vegas. Thus, this
lovely union began. Despite all the awesome things that touring offered, Sharon ultimately
missed her family, an essential component in life. To this end, Dana and Sharon moved back to
Florida to spend more time with family. Sharon is a devoted mom and wife, a realtor, a
performer, a business owner, and an all-around superwoman. I am proud to call her a friend and
I am also enlisting her help in finding my next home. Sharon works as a Realtor with Team
Swanson, brokered by eXp and I cannot wait to see the great house they help me buy, so stay
tuned.
As an exciting development, I am told that Dana and Sharon are currently working on a new
television show which will be unlike any other music talent show out there. I am so excited for
this and though I don’t want to spoil the surprise, here is a little tidbit. Sharon will be featured
with Jason Scheff (of Chicago) in the opening band! This fangirl can hardly wait.
Dana and Sharon perform regularly at Avanu in New Smyrna Beach as well as at the 31 Supper
Club in Ormond Beach. Do yourself a favor and go watch them perform. It is guaranteed to
make for an amazingly fun evening.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…” Bible, Philippians 4:13 (Sharon’s
go-to inspirational quote)
