Chile, Cabanyal and Cedro are three key places that weave the vital network of Macarena Salas López. Chile is his country of birth, Cabanyal, his adopted neighborhood, and El Cedro, the area that will host his concert hall., open to sounds from all over the world and with a refined feminist conscience. will be called Goodbye. She and Annabel Nadal from Suport Produccions have refounded the legendary Wah Wah room to bring new rhythms to Valencia that allow themselves to fuse., something he has been doing for a long time from the stage, as one of The Daughters of Cumbia. Theirs is cultural agitation, either from the organization of the Ruge Rosario Cultural Festivals, at the controls of the bass in the Valencian female roots reggae band Amazonians or at the head of this new venue that had to postpone its inauguration (was scheduled for April) because of the pandemic. We talked to her about her new adventure.
How was the project managed?? Who are you behind him? Where does the name La salà come from??
The project was born from the dream of creating a cultural space in the center of the city., where the arts come together, eccentricity is breathed, freedom and respect. My partner Annabel Nadal Sendra is behind the project., a great woman who has been working behind Suport Produccions for more than ten years, giving voice to the Valencian music scene. With her we had the need/opportunity to re-create this space, dreaming high, together with a great team that works side by side with us: Berta Ortuño (sound technique), Marta Rodriguez (communications), Alejandra Miralles (art department), Laura Requena (photographer), Jrisa Lia Lia (lightning), Amparo Megías and Silvia Sanchez (web), Paula and Sara (design) among many others. The name La Salà comes from a night of terraceo by the Cabanyal in which almost all of us were gathered, and between name and name, The game came out with the word “room” and that we are very “rooms”!”, and in Valencian it remained “Salà”.
Finally a “great” concert hall in Valencia managed by women. Entirely by women, besides. Tell us what kind of concerts you are going to schedule, Will there be room for other disciplines apart from music??
One of La Salà's mottos is to inspire freedom through art, From there we are working on our own productions and proposals that pay attention to free expression. We don't want to close ourselves to anything, the space is designed as a multifunctional room, that houses different cultural proposals, such as, book presentations, masterclass, theater, cinema… anyway, everything that space allows. We are a diverse and inclusive team and in a time of so many limitations we are clear that without culture there is no future. We will open our doors to creative programming that invites dialogue, to reflection and joy.
What is your feminist conscience as managers of a concert hall?. Are you going to give more scope to female or female-led bands??
Our house is open to all bands that spread conscious music, of quality and with respect, regardless of the gender of its members, we will welcome women's bands, mixed and men. And of course, We will continue to support the feminist scene in the fight for equality and demands, both above and below the stages.
How are you going to plan the concerts within this very strange situation that the coronavirus pandemic is causing??
The concerts will be within legal and health parameters, being very careful with the hygienic measures required by law. For now the space will be occupied with tables and chairs, so we are creating a comfortable and unique environment, that invites you to enjoy a good show. Although we are looking forward to being able to dance at concerts again soon., hug and gather at the bars, see each other's faces and enjoy a safe culture.
El Cedro was a very culturally active neighborhood in its day but it has been languishing for some time. Important stores such as El Tornillo or Deluxe closed, and the Matisse room has recently been resurrected thanks to Esther Ferrer and José Ramón Martín. How important is the neighborhood to the success of the project??
In general, concert halls are disappearing, the big music festivals are eating them up, and the bands and venue format shows are disappearing. Now that there are no festivals, I suppose that many artists will return to the smaller format and life will return to the concert halls with their regular programs.. Being in El Cedro is a privilege, since we are in the middle of the city and within a neighborhood with a lot of youth and movement. neighborhood life, know your neighbors, promotes good coexistence, It is essential. We will work together so that El Cedro returns to its maximum cultural splendor and La Salà becomes a reference venue in Valencia..
tell us, what we can see and hear in October at La Salà.
Faced with the uncertainty we find ourselves in, It is not known if we will be able to open in October, therefore, We don't want to reveal the icing on the cake yet., We are working to surprise you... We can only say that we will have local proposals such as the legendary Cabanyal Reggae, who have always worked for the cultural development of the community, and other own proposals that open the door to fun and eccentricity, as “The Stage Room” and a very special cabaret.
