Based in Porto, Portugal, Jonathan Saldanha has been a pivotal figure in the Portuguese scene, both for exploratory music and performance. He founded SOOPA a music and art collective active in Porto since 1998 and directs the ensemble HHY & The Macumbas since its debut in 2009. He works as a sonic and scenic constructor, within the interception of sound, gesture, voice, stage and film, operating elements of pre-language, resonant choirs, cyclic percussion, cybernetic systems, unfathomable presence, pressure, haptic memory, allopoiesis, echo and intra-cranial-dub.
Saldanha presented the installation VOCODER & CAMOUFLAGE at CAC Passerelle / DañsFabrik, Brest; the piece O POÇO at the Festival DDD – RIVOLI Porto; OXIDATION MACHINE installation at DoDisturb Palais de Tokyo, Paris and Serralves Foundation, Pt; the choir piece PLETHORA; AFASIA TÁTICA exhibition at Culturgest, Pt and ANÓXIA at Biennial Anozero of Coimbra.
He directed the stage pieces SØMA at festival Temps d’Image Lisboa, JUNGLE MACHINE at Serralves Museum, SANCTA VISCERA TUA at Santa Clara Church. He composed the choir pieces KHŌROS ANIMA, DEL and PLETHORA, presented at CEC Guimarães 2012, and the festivals Forum do Futuro, Out.Fest, Verão Azul.
He’s been actively playing live shows, solo or with different formations at festivals like Sónar, Primavera Sound, Amplifest, Milhões de Festa, Neopop, Elevate, Nyege Nyege. His music was released in the labels Ångström, Tzadik, Rotorelief, iDEAL and Wordsound. The film JUNGLE MACHINE/CRISTAL WORLD was published by Serralves Museum.
Saldanha is co-founder of SILORUMOR and TERROR labels as well as of the band FUJAKO.
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News
- SHAPE+ announces 2024/2025 roster of artists
- SHAPE+ announces 2023/2024 roster of artists
- SHAPE+ platform announces open call for 2023/2024
- Pictures: SHAPE at Riga’s White Night
Past events
- Unsound Kraków 2019: Solidarity
- Skaņu Mežs at Riga’s White Night’2019
- Les Siestes Electroniques Toulouse
