Sílvia Pérez Cruz and Salvador Sobral: "I would never dare suggest making a record together."
Outliving a friend can be one of the hardest challenges to overcome, whether we're talking about sharing a business, an apartment, or an artistic project. That's why the satisfied faces of Sílvia Pérez Cruz and Salvador Sobral after releasing the album Sílvia & Salvador are no surprise: so devoted to each other, whether on the stage of the Palau de la Música or on a hotel terrace, praising each other with their first duo album, already released and premiered live to critical and popular acclaim.
“It's funny that everyone calls it their first album,” Sílvia acknowledges, referring to a comment that invites one to think about continuity. She said this the day after performing at the Palau de la Música, where the connection the duo displayed was such that you'd think they'd been playing together for years. But the reality is that the project was born during the 2024 Goya Awards gala, when the pair was invited to sing during the traditional tribute to the deceased, a very delicate moment “because the people applaud,” notes the singer-songwriter from Palafrugell, satisfied because “we performed the music live; it was a real statement of intent.” Accompanied only by Marta Roma's cello—also featured on the album and in the live performances—their music caused the audience's applause to subside, remaining silent to listen to Recordarte, unaware that it would be the seed of something bigger.
Silvia Pérez Cruz “Discovering how we both worked, how we listened to each other, was even more precious.”Nor did the protagonists know what was going to happen. "I would never dare suggest making an album together," says Salvador Sobral, looking sheepishly at Sílvia Pérez Cruz. "I admire her so much that I wouldn't have the courage. It was she who suggested it the next day. Something special happened at the Goya Awards."
"Are you sure it was the next day?" Pérez Cruz responds skeptically. "It was beautiful, but I'm also aware of what making a record entails. I think I should digest it a little more, because working with a friend can be a bit of a challenge."
- It's not just logistical issues, it's two egos and two careers, different ways of working.
- But it was the other way around - Pérez Cruz states - discovering how we were both working, how we listened to each other, was even more precious.
Five languages and a multitude of genres come together in this project, guided by the voices of its protagonists, who entrusted themselves to colleagues in the profession to compose the pieces. This was the case with Javier Galiana, "a mutual friend from Cádiz," as Sobral recalls of the author of the chacarera " Muerta Chiquita ." Or the Portuguese singer's sister, Luisa, who wrote "Hoje ja não e tarde " (I've been wanting to compose something for Sílvia for a lifetime). Jenna, Salvador's wife, contributes "L'amour reprend ses droits" (Love Reprend Ses Droits ), while Jorge Drexler gave them "El corazón por delante" (The Heart in Front) , and Lau Noah writes "Someone to Sing Me to Sleep ." "The essence of each person who made it is preserved," comments Sílvia Pérez, "and at the same time, a unique sound has been created when we play and sing them."
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The commission for all of them came from the Goya Awards' Recordarte , and it was to compose a song with time as its motif. "That was the starting point," Sílvia recalls, adding, "A deadline, which is very important." In return, they offered their voices, guitar, cello, and some bass with keyboards. The musical version of "Ben poco cosa tens" by Miquel Martí i Pol ended up guiding the project. "It helped with the timbre, to understand what the group was." Composed for Gerard Oms' film Molt lluny , Sílvia Pérez composed the song while talking with Sobral about the project, which was still in its infancy. "So I composed it musically thinking that he could play the vocals on top, and I thought about Llach's Abril 74 , which we had sung together before." With this in mind, she asked guitarist Darío Barroso and cellist Marta Roma to play it. "I didn't tell them anything about the project, but that way I could get a feel for how it sounded, because imagining Salvador's voice was easy."
Subsequent rehearsals revealed that another musician was missing, and so Sebastián Gris's guitar was added to complete the project, recorded at Sol de Sants Studio in Barcelona with production by Juan R. Berbín, another important element of the project. "Apart from having good taste and a lot of human touch, he brought a bit of Latin flair to the album." He also added the textures that open the album, accompanying a choral song that was already featured on Sílvia Pérez's last solo album, where Salvador was part of the Sol choir that accompanied her.
“Starting the album with a choir gives you something you can't find in any instrument,” emphasizes the Portuguese singer, who defines choral singing as “an angelic voice.” His partner speaks of musical dissolution—“you no longer know who you are, you're part of something bigger”—and points to the need for this type of sensation as a response to modern individualism. “It's an act of total love, because the voice is the most exposed part of you. You can sing in a more subdued way, but if you want, you can open up, and this act of trust in the collective is a great hope that everything can be a little better.”
Salvador Sobral “Portugal still does not recognize the Palestinian state, and I feel the need to insist that this happen.”There's also love in their demonstrations in support of Palestine, transformed into Tempus fugit (plor per Palestina) by pianist Marco Mezquida. "We recorded the vocals with the piano's microphones, from inside, all at once," recalls Sílvia Pérez, who had the image of "a piano among the ruins, and the small poetry of survival, because when they take everything from you, you're left with this small dignity." The idea of composing a piece about the Palestinian conflict is, more than a political statement, "something human; we talk about lives," warns Sobral, who, like Pérez Cruz, brings this proclamation to her own performances. "For me, it's important because Portugal still doesn't recognize the Palestinian state, and I feel the need to insist that that happens."
All these pieces came together like a puzzle on the stage of the Palau de la Música, where Sílvia Pérez arrived "very fragile" after having suffered pneumonia with her daughter while in Japan, during the start of the tour. "On the other hand, I'm at a point where I have less ambition," she admits, "I thought about it on stage; I felt happy to be there." The singer-songwriter highlights the learning curve that comes with sharing the spotlight on stage: "In concerts, each person guides the energy they create, but here the other person offers you a different kind of energy."
Sobral sees it that way, too, worried about how his need to get up, move around, and joke around would affect the show. “But Sílvia told me I should behave like always. You were the one who pushed me to dance and do these silly things,” she says, pointing to her partner. “It's important to show the unity. I want Salvador to be in his moment, doing what makes him happy, just as I want to be in mine.”
A copy of sincerity is how they've united two characters who recognize themselves as very different on stage. "I loved seeing how Sílvia works," admits Salvador, who emphasizes her attention to every detail: "The stage, the lights, the stage direction—she has a clear artistic concept, while I focus solely on the music." For now, he's recruited Sílvia's lighting manager for his upcoming solo tour, and there could be more changes. "Sound checks are very anarchic in my band; we play other things, whereas Sílvia has a plan, and the truth is, the sound is better because there's more discipline."
“I like Salvador's decision-making when he sings,” Pérez Cruz shares. “Our voices work very well together, but the way you think about how you sing is different. He's more about choosing something and going with it,” she notes, making a straight arm gesture. “On the other hand, I'm always looking for something new. Salvador is more faithful to the melody, and I like all his energy. He celebrates the beauty of the world and is lucid in conflicts.” She, on the other hand, acknowledges that she can get lost “in empathy,” while Salvador “resolves things that for me can be emotionally complex.”
Will there be a sequel, a second volume? “I'd like to in a few years,” Sobral admits. “How do you imagine it?” Sílvia asks, and the Eurovision winner talks about composing this time, “but now it's time for you to make your album and me to make mine.”
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