MUSIC
My songwriting work
In 2008, suddenly everything I had been exploring throughout my life seemed to come together, and I entered a period of explosive and authentic creativity. Dozens of songs began to flow from me like an unstoppable spring. Finally, after 13 years of musical exploration, I connected with what some describe as the "source," that mysterious space that whispers creations into our ears and seems to act through us effortlessly.
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This wonderful and surprising period of my life gave birth to my first album, "Brotes" (2010), which was well received in the local Indie scene at the time and served as my introduction for my first official international tour: I performed 47 concerts in New Zealand and Australia, in small theaters, local festivals, and some larger venues. Two years later, I repeated this tour in both countries.
My subsequent albums were "Canciones Pequeñitas" (self-released) in 2013 and "La Parte Naranja" (2016), the production of which I achieved with the support of the renowned National Music Fund. My work as a songwriter was strongly influenced by Latin folk, Anglo pop, and Chilean trova.
With three albums recorded and several tours under my belt, this stage seemed to come to a close for me, at least temporarily.
Simultaneously, I found myself increasingly close and intensely drawn to an area that ended up capturing my heart: music for performing arts and experimental music. These areas of music allowed me to work more closely with social and political themes that became fundamental in my artistic journey.
Performing Arts and Sound Design
My work in Performing Arts began in 2004 when I joined El Colectivo, a Playback Theatre company based in Chile. I was part of this company for 18 years, during which time I trained intensively in the particular art of musical improvisation.
This training radically changed my way of understanding music, leading me into a more intuitive and daring way of creating, as well as incorporating the body, emotions, and group dynamics.
Throughout the years, I have participated in numerous plays and performances both live and in the studio, incorporating the full range of musical abilities that I have developed over a very diverse career. I do the entire process from crafting the initial idea, to composing, recording and fully producing the sound pieces.
Most of my work is done simultaneously as the performing work developes and not after, as my vision and contribution is to create a “single being” collectively. I usually undergo the same training and residencies as the performers, and usually participate in the pre and post production aspects of the plays or performances as well
Both on stage live and in studio recording production, some of the elements I incorporate are:
- Piano and keyboards
- Vocals
- Guitars, ukulele, charango, and other string instruments.
- Percussion instruments such as djembe, cajón, and seeds.
- MIDI programming for orchestral arrangements and electronic arrangements.
- Recording and use of samples of elements from nature and urban life.
- Ethnic instruments such as didgeridoo, trompe, caskahuilllas, trutrucas, and many others.
All of these elements, according to the nature of each work, I use in a traditional musical way to generate melodies, rhythms, and harmonies, as well as experimentally, creating atmospheres, layers, and textures.
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The profound inquiry persisted: How does one infuse the essence of ritual into the fabric of the performance space? How can the symbolic potency of ritual be harnessed to craft a circus act that transcends boundaries, resonating with the other? And in the midst of the performance, how does one suspend time to contemplate the ritual's symbolism and its profound significance, inviting reflection and introspection into the very essence of the art form being explored?
In the realm of musical exploration and sound design, Carmen Salvador intricately wove textures that sought to unearth elements within indigenous sounds, Latin American instruments from various corners of the continent, and evocative voices that transport us to ancestral scenes. These were seamlessly fused with electronic elements and modern instruments, giving rise to intricate compositions that evolve in a dialogue uniquely their own.
Telar Escénica was an interdisciplinary investigation that united ten women from diverse disciplines such as music, theater, circus, illustration, dance, film, and sociology. Together, they embarked on an exploration of the presence of Latin American language through a feminine lens within the realm of contemporary circus.
Central to their inquiry were profound reflections on the essence of Latin Americanness, the intrinsic ties to the land and its multifaceted dimensions, the evocative sounds and textures that envelop their beings, and the enduring specter of oppression that weaves a common narrative across Latin American nations, encompassing a mosaic of languages and indigenous communities.
Within the performance space, the ritual became protagonist, and underwent a metamorphosis, transcending mere observance to become a corporeal experience. The essence of the ritual and its emotive resonance, found manifestation through a tactile engagement with the elements, embodying the very essence of the ritual, manipulating it, containing it, and delving into its endless possibilities.
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The creative an explorative process of this project included two residencies of 5 days each, and a series of online and onsite sessions. As a result, a book was edited.
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This project was financed by Chile´s Ministry of Culture during 2020.
The music for this project was created in a collaborative work mode during two residencies in the south of Chile. During these intensive work sessions, the whole team delved into exploring movement and sound, recording some of the results on site while some of the sound production and recording was done afterwards.
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Electronic elements as well as acoustic instruments and vocals were used to create deeply evoking sound pieces.
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Where Dance Those Who Wait is a heartbreaking tragicomedy set in a nursing home. In the style of the Commedia dell'arte, the play shows us the harsh reality of the abandonment of the elderly and the precariousness of the public nursing home system.
The music was composed and produced by Carmen Salvador and is mostly orchestral. In the main theme, we have the participation of the renowned Palestinian violinist Mohammad Rjoub.
Esta pieza experimental toma la voz de una de las participantes del proyecto Woman of Fist and Letter y nos lleva por un viaje sensorial y evocativo.