Surkalen

Chile, Quebec World Music

Biography :

The Surkalen Trio appeared in Montreal in 2008 thanks to a meeting of four musicians: Sandra Ulloa (vocals, cuatro, percussions), Claudio Rojas (charango, guitar, flutes, vocals, percussions), Rony Davila (bass, guitar, cuatro, vocals, percussions) and Maria Demacheva (violin, percussion, vocals). The first three come from Valparaiso, Chile, and the fourth is Russian-Canadian. Their amazing alliance has produced a unique musical style, the result of varied influences, a style they nickname ethno-fusion.
Their group’s name was not chosen by chance: it comes from “sur,” or south, in tribute to the South American origins of three of the members, and from “Kalén,” which means different in the Selknam language (the Selknams are the former inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego).
Most of the group’s creations are strongly influenced by South American rhythms and other forms of world music, including ancestral beats and contemporary sounds. In 2009, the group performed at several festivals: the Festival du bout du monde in Gaspé, the Festival Music-Multi-Montréal and the Festival Folklorique latino-américain in Laval. It also presents many concerts on Quebec stages. Nearly two years after the group’s creation, it brought out an album with the promising title Viaje, meaning “travel” in Spanish.
Their music, always defiant toward boundaries, is gentle, spellbinding and wide-ranging. It blends traditional melodies with more modern sounds, sometimes allowing itself detours into jazz.