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Joined: March 04 2008
Location: Retirement Home
Status: Offline
Points: 3658
Topic: Saena Posted: May 31 2011 at 15:02
SAENA is one of the most recent wonders that have come out to the world of symphonic rock. Founded in Mexico by lifelong musical partners José Luis FERNÁNDEZ LEDESMA and Margarita BOTELLO, SAENA gathers five experienced and skillful musicians whose separate résumés are rooted in the areas of academic music, progressive rock, theatre soundtracks and fusion. All other three musicians have collaborated in FERNÁNDEZ LEDESMA's albums at one point or another.
I got in touch with the band and Margarita Botello kindly answered my questions.
When, where and by whom
was your band born ? Did any of you, past and present members, play
in any other bands before joining up in your band ? Why did you
choose that name ?
Saena was born in 2008 in
México City around José Luis Fernández Ledesma´s music. The
members at that moment were José Luis Fernández Ledesma,guitars and
piano, Margarita Botello, accordion, piano and voice, Alejandro
Sánchez, violín, Hugo Santos, stick and fretless bass and Adrián
Zárate, drums. Actually Saena are José Luis, Margarita,
Alejandro, Jesús Ibáñez bass, acoustic bass and stick, and Darío
Solís, drums.
José Luis have been in
several bands, was co-founder of Nirgal Vallis, Arca and with
Arturo Meza among others. Margarita played on the last Nirgal Vallis
edition in 2000 year and also in Arca. Alejandro Sánchez played in
Decibel and Nazca and with many chamber music groups. Jesús
plays with Ibánez-Villa trío. Darío plays with Execror Vecordia.
About the name, Saena, it
refers to a sufi´s mithology:
Birds are convoked by a splendid feather
fallen from sky. Thousands of the undertake a journey to meet Saena,
king of birds and owner of the feather who lives on the mountain
Haraiti Bareza.
The quest takes many years. Most of the birds die in
the way, some of fatigue, others frozen on the top of the mountains,
some others go insane or just stay on the paths, contemplating the
beauty of the landscape; many more abandon the cause. Those who
finally arrive have had to pass seven huge valleys called: Search,
Heart, Knowledge, Annihilation, Unity, Astonishment and
Realization.
Eager to know Saena, they discover that
there is no one in that mountain but them, the thirty birds purified
by the journey. With the last light of the sun on their faces they
find out that Saena is each and all of them.
Which bands were you
influenced by ?
There´s not
a predominant influence. It´s more varied information that affects
every one of us and shapes the music. Each listener will find
different influences depending on their own information.
Your one and only album so
far; Saena was released in 2008. Please tell us more about this
album.
Our intention was to
make a record that were timeless in a way, a record that would have
been done 20 years ago or 10 ahead; that have aa voice that were both
local and global. We wanted to put emphasis on the combination of
acoustic and electronic colours, without ising many effects and
giving more weight to the music itself and the arrengements.
What have you been up to
since 2008 ?
After the album the band
went trough two complicated processes to change firs to the bassist
ant later to the drummer. Anyway,we have being working all this time
and now we have all the material to record our next album. Paralell
to the activities of the band, the members of the band have other
projects: José Luis has also been dedicated to the photography, he
had an exhibit of his work last year. With margarita and Jesús has
launched a multimedia project called milenrama (Yarrow), with José
Luis´s images amd live improvisation. Margarita works at Mexico´s
National Company of Opera an besides the choir have singed as a
soloist too. Lejandro plays in a chamber orchestra, with whom he has
also participated as a soloist; he also plays with a Danzon
orchestra. Jesús continues with his trio and Darío just arrived
to Saena.
For those of us unknown
with your music; how would you describe you music and which bands
would you compare yourself with ?
It is very difficult to
describe the music; just listening to it and yet, as was said,
everyone would describe it as his sensitivity and his baggage, but
could be said it´s a semi-acoustic camera rock, with progressive,
folk, jazz and rock in opposition elements...and what everyone likes
to add.
What is your plans for
this year and beyond ?
We have material to
release two albums. We just started recording the first of these and
hope to finish it this year.
To wrap up this interview,
is there anything you want to add to this interview ?
Saena does not follow any
rule of the market, fashion trends or labels. Looks for voices from
the past and the present in a free manner.
Thank you to Margarita for this interview
Their PA profile is here and their homepage is here
Joined: May 19 2004
Location: Peru
Status: Offline
Points: 4888
Posted: July 21 2011 at 18:38
Looking forward to those two albums - SAENA's music states an uncomprimising stance while remaining truly beautiful and evocative, partially loyal to the standards of symphonic prog while stretching out the sonic scheme with enough freedom to reformulate the definition of symphonic. SAENA, JLFL & NIRGAL VALLIS RULE!!! Three of the best musical items to eer come from Mexico.
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