By José Gandue @Gandour
«"She's a firecracker with her bags packed.", It doesn't keep him up at night to live the way you want.
Autumn eyes, spring skin, Fire to captivity, beasts outside!.
Fire, of Zalo Solo
He's clearly an intelligent guy. His press agent, to put it more bluntly, warns me that Zalo Solo has flow. This Uruguayan, born in 1992, recently released his new album. Good luck, He creates captivating lyrics for his songs, and it's clear that his strength lies in telling his story well, in making the nuances of his narrative stand out., Let his words not be mere verses floating in the air, for they are something heavier, something with greater substance; what he exclaims deserves to be heard and understood.. Good luck It's a seven-song album, where you can easily transition between a tune with a Caribbean flavor, like For you (made as a duet with the Argentinian) Delfina Dib), even a nostalgic bossa nova like Storm. It's a varied album, with different atmospheres, but solid in its structure. There's a common narrative that sustains the unity of the production. Here we have the opportunity to listen to a complete, sensitive and entertaining work. An album that, we hope, can be promoted throughout the hemisphere as it deserves. That's why we took the opportunity to catch up with the artist in Montevideo and talk to him about his work:
How would you define your music?
As an expression of my being. An extension of myself, my voice, feelings, and thoughts. They are small doses of experiences from my subjective perspective. Always with style and soul, paying attention to form, of course; but mainly I would define it as a collection of feelings set to rhythms.
It has a strong element of melancholy, which is highlighted by the acoustic elements of your music. Is that a conscious choice?
I think there's a bit of everything, really. I have some more relaxed songs and others that are quite serious. I suppose the element of melancholy comes from the production time; usually, quite a while passes between when I have an experience and when I put it into a song. They're long processes because I want to approach them from their true depth, with intentional thought.
Likewise, there is a clear premise: that there be flavor, that there be seduction…
I try to make sure each song has its own mood. Something I focused heavily on for this particular album was precisely that: carefully crafting the soundscapes and ensuring each one complements the feeling I want to convey to the audience. Regardless of whether the rhythm is bossa nova, trap, or salsa, the important thing is to provide a solid sonic framework for exploring different musical paths, creating an immersive experience.
What influences do you recognize at this point in your career?
My friends. Without a doubt, the people in my inner circle are my biggest inspirations. They're the ones who recommend music to me—almost none of them are really into rap, so it's quite varied—they're people I admire and who help me grow immensely on a personal level. My art comes from all of this: from what I go through, from how I'm maturing, from recognizing what I want, who I am, and who I never want to be. I think it's an inexhaustible source of inspiration, chatting with your friends and developing self-awareness through these exchanges. If you do it in depth, I think it's easy to say that it leaves a mark on you. And that will inevitably be reflected in my music.
I really enjoy design and graphic art in general. I think that, at the end of the day, design thinking also influences how I make music. Other artists are also influential, not so much aesthetically or sonically, but in how they break down barriers and claim new territories. Like Tyler, The Creator does, or like ASAP Rocky and Kanye West did. Not limiting themselves to the song format, but understanding music as a whole: sound, visual, sensory, and emotional.
I can sense good literature in your writing, I can sense many hours of reading. Are there any authors you consider a reference point?
Yes, I love to read. I like to read a variety of things too. I don't think that reading Dostoevsky will necessarily improve your writing, but I do think it's important to see how each person develops their own voice, their way of approaching stories and telling them. I especially enjoy word choice, which is why I also try to read different authors from different countries. I really like the work of Mario Benedetti, Eduardo Galeano, José Ovejero, and Harold Robbins (who is a bit of a...). guilty pleasure), Douglas Coupland, and science fiction icons like Orwell and Ray Bradbury.
How do you see the contemporary Latin hip hop scene? Do you identify with what you see around you?
I find it incredible. I think there are outstanding artists who may not have much exposure but give it their all. There are many who are repeating formulas they see work, but that will always happen, in every field. But on the other hand, there are people who do their own thing, with their own sound, and stand out so much that they generate a movement. I follow Doble Porción and the Moebiuz collective closely, and I think they are a great example of what I was talking about.
As for identifying with them, I don't know. I really like what different artists do, but what I appreciate most is the diversity. What I can identify with, though, is honesty. Maybe their realities are different from my own, but I will always admire those who tell their truth with their own unique style.
What is your live format like?
It varies, depending on the venue. My brother and DJ, Saza Rob, is always there, and sometimes we perform with a few more members, in a band format (guitar, keyboard, and trumpet), and other times—most of the time—it's just the DJ, MC, and the extraordinary trumpeter Nicolás Grieco.
What's next for promoting your album? What are your short and medium-term plans?
Live shows have only recently returned to our country. We're very eager to put on a good run of shows here, present the album, and reconnect with our fans after this seemingly endless period. We also had some things planned, like a trip to Chile, which had to be canceled due to the social unrest there, which was then compounded by the health emergency. But anyway, the idea is to promote the album as widely as possible and continue connecting internationally, as I did with this album, which I had the opportunity to work on with a wonderful artist like Delfina Dib.
So there are plans to cover the continent with your music…
Definitely. As long as they welcome us warmly, we'll go, hahaha.
A few years ago I was lucky enough to travel; I got to know northern Argentina and part of Bolivia, and I also spent some time in Brazil. The response from people has always been very positive to what we do. They look at us with a bit of surprise, but they like it. So I think it's just a matter of finding the ways to continue sharing.
