Santi de la Rubia - Changes (2020)

“Change is the only constant.” My aunt and cousin used it repeatedly but it was only in 2018, when I migrated from Brazil to Europe, that I fully understood the meaning of this phrase. I moved in order to explore uncertain grounds, analogous to the ones that we, as improvising musicians, are all too familiar with when playing and creating music together. Experiencing my first real winter, the language barrier and the distance from loved ones forced me to dive into a journey of self-discovery.

During this journey I met Santi and our paths synchronized. Our friendship evolved through countless hours of working together, every day, for practically one year while living in Basel —Switzerland. We have a kind of connection that happens only with esthetic affinity and intense cooperation. As such, we decided to make a record, invited Jorge, who is the combination of a mentor and friend to us, and he brought Doug to form the quartet heard here.

This was the first time that I had another musician’s sound in mind while writing. Because of my great admiration for Santi’s musicianship, I aspired to write melodies and harmonies that would do his musical universe justice. All of my writing for this record is dedicated to, and inspired by, him, explicitly the track “Friendship.” Santi’s compositions here are clear reflections of that universe, an open book showing a blend of strength and gentlemanly behavior, adjectives that apply not only to his music but to his personal character. We also had the fortune of co-writing music for this record, a gratifying experience which I gain greater appreciation for each time it happens.

If change really is the only constant, and so much has changed in our lives and society since this album was recorded, friendship is the thread that reminds us of where we came from and who we are.”

—Vinícius Gomes