Sofia Salvo has been improvising and making weird creatures with her baritone sax since long ago in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After moving to Berlin in 2019, she also began to compose her own sound collages by mixing sax, her voice, and noise recordings. Both for her live free improvisation performances and her house made tracks, she finds inspiration in everyday traumas and dreams, she needs to create to transform, to be more present in the present time.
Sofia Salvo is one of the September mentees at Amplify Berlin, a residency program designed to support emerging Berlin-based musicians through mentorships with more established artists in order to facilitate creative development through guidance, a focused work environment and access to resources. Initiated by ACUD Macht Neu, the program takes place at Kunsthaus ACUD in Berlin-Mitte which houses a club/concert space, a multidisciplinary discursive/performative space, a gallery, a cinema, a theather, Reboot.FM radio station and the headquarters of the CTM Festival, amongst others. Salvo’s mentor is Iraqi multi-instrumentalist Khyam Allami.
FACTS:
1: Find what you like.
2: Work on what you like.
3: Create something you like.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
The urge to transform. And to share.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
When I was 10 years old a boy in my school played sax. Once, he left it in the classroom with the case open and I had the chance to look at it very close and I was so impressed by the beauty of the instrument that I decided to learn how to play it. Since then, I never stopped and it became my career.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
Charly Garcia – Clics Modernos
Suarez – Galope
Sumo – After Chabon
Virus – Superficies de placer
Juana Molina – Wed 21
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
Opportunities and unexpected plot twists.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
The Ubahn stations. And, well, also parks and water areas.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
Create it.
7. What was the last record/music you bought?
To be honest, I don’t remember.
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
I am always creating with different artists, that is one of my favourite practices of free improvisation. I only wish the people I am playing with, and me, can do something honest and be spiritually present in the moment of doing it.
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
As a spectator luckily Ive seen a lot of good performances, here in Berlin, and also in Buenos Aires. I would say my greatest experiences were in the smallest places. As a performer I had the most beautiful experiences playing free improvisation, and also I remember this feeling with my ex-girlband from Buenos Aires.
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
Now it’s getting more important because I am composing a lot with computer instead of saxophone. Anyway, I did my first sola album this year with an old phone and a small netbook, also learning how to use the software on the road. Now I am having more knowledge and tools I want to explore more this area.
11. Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career/art?
Yes, I have four, I don’t think they understand what I do, but somehow I hope they still support me.
Photo © Michael Huebner
