The musical encounter between Sandra Ulloa, Claudio Rojas, and Rony Dávila took place in 1995 in Valparaíso, Chile, where they are originally from. After going their separate ways, they spent a few years traveling through Europe before reuniting in 2006 in Montreal, Canada. In 2008, they formed the group SURKALÉN TRIO and began officially performing in Montreal. In 2009, Russian-Canadian violinist Maria Demacheva joined the trio to form the current quartet. The group then renamed itself SURKALÉN.
The name was not chosen at random: “Sur” pays homage to the South American roots of three of the members, and “Kalén” means “different” in the Selknam language. The Selknam were the indigenous people of Tierra del Fuego, a small Native group that disappeared in the mid-20th century.
SURKALÉN fuses the musical heritage of South American culture with world music influences from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. This musical blend gives rise to a unique and captivating sound, born from their diverse influences and a modern style they call ethno-fusion. Between ancestral rhythms and contemporary sounds, SURKALÉN offers poetic and appealing music that is both socially and culturally identifiable.
In 2008, the group released its first album, Viaje—a Spanish word meaning “journey.” The album presents a mix of traditional melodies and modern sounds, with a subtle touch of jazz.
In the winter and spring of 2012, with support from the Vivacité Montréal program of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and its partners, the group produced and released its second album Essence de lumière. This album blends multiple musical influences: a passionate and enchanting rhythmic fusion with jazzy touches on a contemporary musical foundation. During the same period, the group was selected for the “Artists in Residence” program at Le GESÙ. This residency allowed them to present their new album in one of Montreal’s finest concert halls.
In 2015, the group released their third album Ethno-Charango, an original musical work and a journey to the ends of the earth. In the history of music in Montreal, Ethno-Charango is the first album entirely dedicated to the charango, giving it the lead role and allowing it to shine freely. The charango is a small stringed instrument with five pairs of doubled strings, which are plucked. This work received financial support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Chilean National Council for Culture and the Arts, and the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
In 2018 and 2019, SURKALÉN was a finalist for the Prix de la diversité en musique from the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
In 2016, the group was nominated at the Indie Acoustic Project Awards (USA) in the category Best 2015 Album – Acoustic Ensemble, for Ethno-Charango.
In 2013, SURKALÉN won the Vitrine 2013 award for Musiques Locales Métissées from Vision Diversité, receiving both the Coup de cœur du public (Audience Choice Award) from Vision Diversité and Place des Arts, as well as the Coup de cœur from the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
That same year, the group also won the Indie Acoustic Project (USA) award for Best Multi-Genre Album of 2012 for Essence de lumière.
In 2012, SURKALÉN was nominated for World Music Group of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards (New Brunswick) for Essence de lumière.
In May 2011, SURKALÉN was invited to open on stage for Daniel Viglietti in Montreal. Viglietti was a singer, composer, and guitarist—one of the most important and influential artists of popular music in Uruguay and Latin America.
The group has performed at various festivals: the Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal, Nuit Blanche at Le GESÙ as part of Montréal en lumière, Festival des traditions du monde de Sherbrooke, Festival international de percussions de Longueuil, Festival du bout du monde de Gaspé, Festival Musique Multi-Montréal, Latin American Folk Festival of Laval, the Festival international Nuits d’Afrique de Montréal, and the Festival des arts de Montréal-Nord. They have also given numerous concerts throughout Quebec. They recorded a live concert for CBC Radio 2 (August 2010) and Surkalén en Concert for French Ontario television channel TFO (September 2010).
Sandra, Claudio, Rony, and Maria continue to explore and discover new musical adventures every day. Their work opens new paths to awareness.
Sandra Ulloa: voice, cuatro, cajón, darbouka, tablâ and percussion.
Claudio Rojas: guitar, charango, cuatro, flutes, bass, voices and percussion.
Rony Dávila: bass, guitar, cuatro, flutes, voices and percussion.
Maria Demacheva: violin, voices and percussion.
Sandra Ulloa was born inValparaíso, Chile. Not only is Sandra the vocalist of the band, she is the author and the composer of many of Surkalen’s songs. Sandra also plays the Venezuelan cuatro, the Indian tablâ, the Peruvian cajón, the flute and the African darbouka. Her creative mind leads her to different explorations of musical universes. She composes contemporary and harmonious melodies and her poetry reflects the spirit of SURKALÉN with its inspirational lyrics. Her powerful and divine voice easily affects hearts. Her spiritual quest revolves around the essence of her life: finding a way to get to the internal source of inspiration that allows an alliance to form between divine energy and spirituality. She combines different music styles in a very unique way which brings joy and light and expresses a profound spirituality.
Claudio Rojas was born in Valparaíso ,Chile. Claudio is an excellent charanguiste. He is also a composer of contemporary South American folklore. His art is influenced by a variety of musical styles including traditional music, jazz, rock and music fusion. The innovations that Claudio brings to charango playing techniques allow him to liberate himself from traditions and to open the doors for creativity. His own technique is inspired by African rhythms, Asian spirituality, the evolution of European music, jazz improvisations and South American folklore. Claudio is a proficient guitarist, flutist and percussionist, and is essential to creating SURKALÉN’s unique tone. His spiritual quest allows for the fusion between the east and the west and contributes to a universal approach to music.
Rony Dávila was born in Valparaíso, Chile. Rony plays bass guitar, guitar, flute and is an excellent percussionist. Rony grew up in a musical and artistic environment. The son of recognized Chilean folk musicians, he is distinguished by his open-mindedness and passion for the music of the world, constantly searching for new rhythms and sounds. His imagination and musicianship skills help to create the unique sound in the music of SURKALÉN.
Maria Demacheva was born in Moscow, Russia. Maria is a violinist who received her formal education in classical music. Prize-winner of competitions including the National Competition of Canada and the Festival of music of Montreal, she also received grants from several international music festivals such as Banff Arts Center, Bowdoin International Music Festival and Orford Arts Centre. Maria completed her Master's degree in performance at the University of Montreal. She loves to explore various musical styles and brings an original touch to the music of SURKALÉN by adding a wide range of colours on the violin. She puts all her heart and soul in the sounds of her violin which is reflected in each of her performances. Her talent and generosity reverberate in the sounds of her violin and our souls.
