Constantly playing with a relationship of identity and duality, CAMÍNA creates a musical universe filled with divine feminine emotion, cultural wisdom and insightful imagination. CAMÍNA draws on various genres including electronic music, trip hop, lo-fi R&B and avant-garde. Saldivar grew up singing in the church choir, where her musical mentor was Kevin Jonas Sr, father of the future Jonas Brothers. A classically trained opera singer, she previously toured with Broken Social Scene and The Polyphonic Spree.
Inspired by her Spanish heritage, eclectic upbringing, and recent travels, including an ongoing sabbatical in the New Mexico mountains, CAMÍNA is the culmination of Dallas-based musician Ariel Saldivar’s life. “Camina,” means “walk,” and her debut album, Te Quiero Mucho, dreamily wanders through personal narratives about love and loss, ruminations on current events, and finding strength in the face of adversity.
“This record is about resilience and honoring my heritage and those that have come before us,” says Saldivar.
Te Quiero Mucho features deep base infused with hazy, crackling instrumentals, layered with Saldivar’s soulful vocals. A chameleonic desert chanteuse with a sharp tongue and a soft heart, CAMÍNA shifts between frustrated longing (“Cinnamon”), playfully quirky (“Burn For Eternity’), and heartfelt desire (“Forever and Always”). One could imagine her singing in a dusty roadside chapel, strains of organ music wafting through the air, a radio tuned to a Spanish station lazily buzzing in the background.
Dallas-based producer Black Taffy has known Saldivar since high school, and specializes in pairing ambient music with large bass and percussion. “Our goal was to make a dramatic record in English and Spanish by combining hip hop, trap, and ambient music with indigenous music from South America and Mexico,” he explains. “Every song started out being sampled from a dusty record or forgotten cassette tape.”
Te Quiero Mucho was recorded at John Congleton’s studio, Elmwood Recording. in Dallas, TX. It was produced by Black Taffy and engineered by Alex Bhore. Mastering was done by Greg Calbi of Sterling Sound, an industry veteran who has worked with iconic acts such as David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, and Patti Smith, along with contemporary performers like The National, Tame Impala, St. Vincent and Angel Olsen.
Photographer Rambo Elliott has provided the photography that accompanies the album. She shoots exclusively for Leon Bridges and John Baptiste, CAMÍNA is the first female musician she’s ever photographed. With a background in art, working with Goss Michael Foundation and
ArtPrize Dallas, CAMÍNA knows the art world firsthand. She “carefully curated (
VIBE)” at Twyla as the VP of Artist Relations, and worked on Pharrell’s i am OTHER campaign, which featured Tony Peralta’s Latina Icons.
CAMÍNA is an artist curator turned artist who has brought utilitarian theory to life and exhaled harmonious duality as a result. She says, “CAMÍNA draws upon her experiences within the contemporary art world to craft sounds that are subtly complex. She infuses different musical influences with ruminations on magic, landscape, and powerful femininity, drawing the listener into a world that is familiar, yet doesn’t exist.”
