Salvador Equals Faith and Music
Dateline: November 10, 2000
Salvador is a band that has
been tearing up the Christian music World. The band's hit songs
"Lord I Come Before You" and "Crucified," from their self-titled debut album on Myrrh Records, have been making waves on the radio and charts.
But besides their strong faith -- the Austin-based band got their start as a praise and worship
team in their local church -- Salvador's Latin American influence
comes through loud and clear.
"We used to play entirely in Spanish," says lead vocalist Nick Gonzales. "Latin music has always been part of our heritage and our family.
And Salvador, whose members range in age from 18 to 29, definitely is a family affair. Nick's older brother Art and cousin Josh play
drums and bass respectively. The band is rounded out by Adrian Lopez on keyboards and Eliot Torres on percussion.
Nick found himself making the switch to composing songs in English because "I found it easier to express myself through English than
through Spanish." As well, the issues of reaching a larger audience also came into play. "We always knew if we wanted to do something beyond our church that we would have to do something in English."
Salvador's influences include Southern Gospel and Spanish music. In fact, the name Salvador, in Spanish, means "savior." The band was discovered through their performances at various festivals, conferences and coffee shops in the Austin area thanks to their
incorporation of everything from English pop to traditional hymns in their shows.
One thing that is without question, is the members of Salvador's commitment to their faith. When asked
how he reconciles his Christian beliefs with being in the music business, Nick's answer reflects a prayerful and humble attitude.
"We have surrounded ourselves prayerfully by people that we believe have the same mission. I think when you start to almost not pay attention to the music but to the reason why you do it and keep focus there,
everything else falls into place. We're a praise and worship team -- that's what we did before and that's what we do now. As long as we see hands go up when we say 'Who wants to be saved today?', that's all the focus we really need."
Photo courtesy of Salvador
Previous Features
