Aviary Tomb by Alan Silva

“Alan Silva, Folk Troubadour”

by Carlos Terceira

Alan Silva began his musical voyage when he recorded his first album in Santa Barbara in 2001 when he was eighteen years old. These songs, however, were not published until his 2004 release, Boa Sina when he signed his music to Lusitone Records. Between 2001 and 2004, Silva continued to record original songs while his music shifted into a bohemian troubadour style. It was a happy time for Alan. He lived in an apartment and house in Santa Barbara over a three year period while he furthered his education at the University of California. The sheer volume of Silva’s 2004 releases reveals a diversity of leisurely moments and perspectives about song-writing. Not only does Silva’s voice change, but so does his dramatic content which reflects a coming of age. The romantic complaint and bohemian manifesto are some of the interesting topics and themes he involves in these recordings, which are further enumerated in 2005's Big Green Country.

By 2005, Silva had finished his English degree and sang about separation anxiety and existentialism. In many of his songs that year, he varied significantly in his musical direction and professional development. Rose Blood features Silva playing piano for the first time and acoustic guitar on an array of lachrymose country-folk tunes. Gypsy Songs highlights Silva’s jazzy piano melodies coupled with surreal lyrics and a humorous sense of fatalism. Mountain Stairs, recorded in his hometown of Ridgecrest, also offers a complexity of lyrical sophistication and sounds such as piano, percussion, acoustic and electric guitars. After his “Escape from Alcatraz” tour of the U.S. Northwest, Silva was employed as a high school English teacher after period of employment as a legal assistant. As work consumed his life, Alan performed a concert for his only live album, Live, in January 2006.

It was the beginning of a momentous year for Alan. His next album was the folk confessional, Secret Life. It placed Silva on a new liberating trajectory whereby his style matured as he recorded on the move. His next release, the epic-length Changing the Guards features many songs resulting from a mysterious filming in Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, the film has yet to surface. Aviary Tomb, it’s follow-up, was recorded on vacation in Ridgecrest and Lake Tahoe using studio equipment from Silva’s music publisher, Lusitone Records. More recently, Silva has perplexed critics with the release of three new albums in January 2007. Hunters and Hunted describes the consequences of the “dark wood” of violence and unrequited love on human consciousness. Numas Estrelas is essentially a time-travel concept album based on a series of Japanese picture scrolls. Golden Palace, on the other hand, is a topical assembly of complex poetry for the modern age, allowing multiple interpretations. The three of them together form a River Trilogy and are delightful compositions safely relegated to the domain of folk composition and bohemian philosophy.

Alan Silva is currently working on new material, as well as his Master’s degree in English - American literature, at San Diego State University where he is a writing tutor. There is no other quite like him.

[signed]

Carlos Terceira

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Credits:

"Adored by many, Silva has gained a reputation for regularly releasing records, being otherwise ascetic and knowledgeable. There is no other quite like him."

—John Carpinteria

“Alan Silva is the poet-laureate of San Diego music.”

—Jefferson Jay

"He used to live in a place called Fisherman Street. Just like his ancestors."

—Joao Nunes

Discography:

Boa Sina (2004)

Mystery House (2004)

Rose Blood (2005)

Gypsy Songs (2005)

Big Green Country (2005)

Mountain Stairs (2005)

Live (2006)

Secret Life (2006)

Changing the Guards (2006)

Aviary Tomb (2006)

Hunters and Hunted (2007)

Numas Estrelas (2007)

Golden Palace (2007)

Flower People (2007)

The Author:

“I only write and record original material and I have written on many subjects. Interested parties and fans may write me. For a free record, send to alansilvamusic@gmail.com. I sincerely thank those who have helped me write and record over the years. It has been truly awesome.”

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