Salvo is a Spanish guitarist and songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. He plays a fusion of Flamenco, Latin, Classical, and World Fusion. Currently, he is working on creating more original music, and his goal is to connect with wider audiences and inspire people.
How did you start making music?
My dad played the guitar and he taught me a little bit of it when I was a teenager. When I was in high school, I got into a guitar program in which I learned about playing classical and Spanish guitar, and I also got into the guitar ensemble. Then, I mainly taught myself as I was really interested in it. I moved out to Los Angeles and started taking private lessons and basically just kept playing the guitar every day ever since.
What genres do you do?
I specialized in Spanish guitar and I’ve played some classics like flamenco, and even a little bit of Argentinian music too. My music is kind of a fusion of music from the Spanish-speaking world.
Do you only play guitar? Or do you play any other instruments?
I play a lot of different instruments. I play some piano, bass, drums, congas and hand percussion, ukulele, etc. I’m a full-time music teacher in New York and I like studying everything.
Is music your full-time occupation?
Yeah! I work as a teacher but also do a lot of performances in the evenings and on weekends.
Do you mainly focus on covers? Or do you also work on songwriting?
I have two albums out. The first one, which I actually created with another artist called Hugo, is half covers, half originals. The second one is called ‘Solo’ and it’s all original songs created by me. It’s got some instrumental, rumba, flamenco, and also some singer-songwriter stuff too.
How did you find out about Make Music Day? And how has your experience been?
I think some of my friends told me about it. I knew about Make Music Day for a long time before I participated in it, and when I finally got the chance to participate, I had a wonderful experience. I liked that it was outdoors and that people were singing along, dancing, and clapping in the traffic. I love the experience of not knowing who is going to walk past you. This year is probably my seventh year participating in Make Music Day!
How would you describe what music means to you?
Music is a means of expression, and it’s a means for me to share my human experience with others on a very deep level. It’s really about connecting with the audience and sharing an experience of what it is to be human with them.
Finally, what would you say your goal in music is?
I want to keep playing and growing as a musician, developing my technique, creating more music, singing and performing more, engaging with larger audiences, and connecting with people who hopefully I’ll inspire in some way. My goal is really to connect and help people with my music.