"Salvador" is another "boy band" with an average age of 23. It's also
another in the explosion of Latin music bands, and to these two features it
has added Christian lyrics. Their music, however, cannot be
classified as any of the above, because it blends all of the above with
enthusiasm and variety. From totally Latino music, (Montana) to gospel rock
and roll, (Cry Holy) to interesting blends of both American and Latino
music traditions and words (Alabar Al Senor, and David Danced) the group
catches the attention of the listener and keeps the toes tapping and the
spirit dancing as David did.
The moving forces in this group are the Gonzales brothers, who have been
singing in their father's church for the last eight years. The group
expanded to include percussionist Eliot Torres and keyboardist Adrian Lopez
and began playing in the Austin, Texas area.
"Lord, I Come Before You" begins with a horn blast that immediately brings
Herb Albert to mind, and goes on with strong rock and roll rhythms against
the brass to affirm "Lord, I come before you. Love to sing your praise" and
that praise is made clearly evident in the exuberance of the music.
"David Danced" is a traditional piece arranged by the group in both English
and
Spanish. It is based on the story of King David dancing before the Lord God
after a battle in which the Israelite people soundly defeated the enemy.
Wouldn't you dance, too? The music compels you to!
"Crucified" changes the tone completely. It is a declaration of personal
belief made compelling by Nick Gonzales' vocals. Gonzales has a smooth,
calming tenor voice, and he packs this song full of his own emotions. The
music is simple and direct, similar to many other pop songs out there right
now, but the emotion in the voice makes it stand above the others.
"Ain't It Good" brings back the brass accompaniment line and a distinctly
Latino sound with a driving dance beat even though all the words are in
English. "Montana" is a traditional Spanish piece and begins with a flamenco
style guitar playing the introduction. One can easily picture the ladies in
full red skirts dancing to this piece, snapping castanets between their
fingers.
"Cry Holy," on the other hand, is a lament. Again Nick Gonzales' voice
compels,
but the most powerful part is when the whole band sings together in unison,
confessing "And all I can do is fall down on my knees and cry holy."
"Halleluja" is an interesting piece incorporating a spoken voice in the
background preaching as the band sings. The music is neither pop nor Latino,
but a good blend of elements of both. If the previous songs don't yet have
you toe tapping, I think this one will!
Another traditional Spanish hymn has been translated for us non-Latinos: "Now
It Moves." The words are sung in English first, then in Spanish. It is
sung in a minor key, with driving guitar and drum accompaniment, finishing up
with a glorious brass sound as the band asks, "Can you feel the Spirit
moving?"
In spite of its title, "Alabar al Senor" is mostly in English with only the
refrain sung in Spanish. The music is more from the pop music scene with a
strong percussive beat, guitar riffs and keyboards.
"Healing" returns to the Latino sound in this prayer from man to God for His
healing touch. The keyboard notes falling gently behind Nick's pleading
voice, the guitar plummeting down and down, can make the listener easily
picture that healing falling from the heavens. This is an excellently
arranged piece, one of the most descriptive and complex musical ideas on the
whole album. I would hope to hear more like this one from "Salvador" in the
future.
The final piece, "With God," has a blues sound to it, which I found most
interesting just because it is so different from the other pieces on the
album. The final stanza is from the well-known Psalm 23: "The Lord is my
shepherd, I shall not want."
"Salvador's" debut album is a strong one. If the group continues as they have
begun, with their diversity and enthusiasm, their strong emotions and equally
strong music, I'm sure we will be seeing them over and over again in the
future. I, for one, look forward to it.