NEW MUSIC
Salvador: So Natural
Compiled by Jennifer E. Jones
CBN.com Associate Producer
CBN.com
– Life as a rock star must be tough -- achieving balance within
music that nods to both Latin heritage and fresh contemporary pop songwriting…merging
new faces, skills and influences into a family-based musical framework known
for high-energy live shows… creating songs and experiences that reach
out to diverse audiences and simultaneously up to a singular Creator.
You would think doing all that would be hard. Yet through talent, skill and
love of what they do, the men of Salvador make it all look easy. And So
Natural.
So Natural, the Austin, Texas-based Salvador’s fifth full-length
project for Word Entertainment, finds a band in near-constant motion taking
time out to redefine their sound, refocus their energies and reflect on what
they truly believe in, be it as musicians or men of God.
“I think this is the record where we’ve finally captured our sound,
and we’re very excited about it,” says Nic Gonzales, Salvador’s
lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter and producer. “This is
a record we feel, both as individuals and as a group, is the best representation
of what we do on an everyday life level.”
On a craftsmanship level, Gonzales and his bandmates -- bassist Josh Gonzales,
keyboardist Chris Bevins, trumpeter Pablo Gabaldon and new members guitarist
Joel Cavazos, trombonist Jared Solis, percussionist Estaban “Chamo”
Lopez and drummer Robert Acuna -- took complete control of recording So
Natural.
“Salvador has built its reputation on playing live, and we hope that
this record sounds like it’s live because every sound is played by one
of the guys in the band,” Nic Gonzales says. “There are no computer
tricks; everything was made by a hand playing an instrument. That was really
important to us.”
At the same time, So Natural’s lyrical and musical scope widened
considerably. Songs range from the truth-affirming “You Are There”
and “Glimpse of His Heart” to “It Comes Back To You”
and “For More Than Ourselves.”
Additionally, Salvador tapped into a song by fellow Texas family band and
musical kinsmen Los Lonely Boys, ably and humbly bringing the tune “Heaven”
into So Natural’s lineup as another reminder of tying the spiritual
and physical planes together.
“As a pastor’s kid and being in church a long, long, time, I
think I’ve become a little more aware of my surroundings,” Nic
says. “I don’t want to walk into a church building and become
oblivious to the rest of the world. When we started writing for this record,
we took into account that we’re all young men dealing with real issues
and with real people.
“It’s hard to share Jesus with somebody and continue to tell them
what we’ve heard all our lives, like ‘God loves you’ and
‘Jesus died for your sins,’” he continues. “Not that
those things aren’t true, but we’ve heard them, and they probably
have too. So we want to share some music that’s interesting to their
ears but also deals with everyday situations.”
But among the everyday situations within a band, especially one with Salvador’s
heritage and diversity, is change, and the infusion of new blood into their
rich and dynamic sound has energized the band’s veterans.
“A couple guys left the band because they wanted to be with their families,
and we always want to encourage family first,” says Josh Gonzales. “We’ve
since welcomed some new members, mainly Joel, Robert, and Jared. And then
there’s Chamo, who’s just an entity unto himself.”
“So Natural really took shape in the studio and that was a
first,” says Josh Gonzales. “Usually we have everything laid out
prior to going in, but this time we had the chance to create almost all of
it ourselves, which led to a lot of early mornings, late nights, waiting around
and some frustration. Many times, we were saying, ‘Are we ever going
to finish this song?’ But we were trying to find the right sound for
everything, and I think we accomplished that.
“Everything we’ve learned in the past, we brought to this album.
If Salvador’s sound was ever concrete, this is it,” Josh proclaims.
That excitement level over So Natural’s connective power only
heightens an already impact-filled career for this Texas-born band, a run
that includes the 2004 Dove Award for Spanish Language Album of the Year (Con
Poder), tours with artists such as Third Day and Jaci Velasquez, appearances
for both Billy Graham and Franklin Graham Crusades, and many more accolades.
Not bad for some kids from Austin, but the members of Salvador know their
best path is to let God take control of where and how their music touches
people. “We come from a small Hispanic church that on Easter Sundays
has, like, 30 people,” says Josh Gonzales. “For us to come from
there and still go there when we’re home, to see what we’ve seen
in these last four or five years, it’s certainly more than I ever expected."
About So Natural, Joel Cavazos says, “These songs emerged
from us just jamming, and the creative juices are still flowing. So Natural
kind of revved up the engine a lot, and we’re bound to keep this momentum.”
But ultimately, Salvador wants everyone to know the feeling they’re
most comfortable with, a full, trusting and constant relationship with God,
such as the one expressed on “This Is My Life.”
“It’s hard to be all about God when you’re at work; it’s
hard to be all about God when you’re playing basketball with your buddies,”
Nic Gonzales says. “But you can always be under God’s umbrella
of protection, and you need to set aside that time to visit God in prayer,
a time when you can devote your mind, your body, every molecule to Him, and
that’s His time with you.”
It can be a hard thing to do, but when you think about it, it’s really
So Natural.
Order your copy of So
Natural today.
Check out Salvador's
Web site.
CBN IS HERE FOR YOU!
Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting?
Are you facing a difficult situation?
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
|
|