Sega Bodega
Born in Ireland, raised in Glasgow and now based in London, producer, performer and label head Sega Bodega – AKA Salvador Navarrete – has built a reputation as…
Born in Ireland, raised in Glasgow and now based in London, producer, performer and label head Sega Bodega – AKA Salvador Navarrete – has built a reputation as being one of the UK’s most innovative and precocious creative minds. Inspired as much by his close network of peers as his love of cinematic soundscapes, he has made impacts spanning across music, fashion and film, soundtracking some of the most important cultural moments in recent years, as well as building a catalogue of prolific and critically acclaimed solo releases that traverse genre, style and composition.
2020 saw the release of Bodega’s debut album, Salvador, which has been lauded universally as a critical success. Salvador cut through the chaos of early 2020, exposing Bodega at his most raw and vulnerable, swirling emotional and psychological turmoil amongst his most experimental and hard hitting production work to date. What was initially a personal and intricate exploration into Bodega’s innermost thoughts has transformed into a treasured sanctuary for his dedicated fan base, striking a chord for the generational turmoil we’ve all experienced this year. Upon release, Salvador was launched with limited edition vinyl variants that were eagerly snapped up, selling out almost immediately, whilst the album continues to stream in the millions. Most recently, Bodega teamed up with Låpsley for intoxicating garage and trance inspired single “Make U Stay”, which was named Guardian’s Single of the Week, lauded with plays across BBC Radio 1 and 6Music and is now streaming in the millions.
Bodega has also been a point of solace for the wider independent community over the pandemic, raising money for the AIM independent artists fund. Bodega launched “Reestablishing Connection”, an online performance series platforming some of his close collaborators; Lapsley, Dorian Electra, and LaFawndah, amongst others.
Pre-Salvador, Bodega has been a crucial creative hand in countless projects including the A&R and development of artists under his NUXXE label, acclaimed production for artists including Oklou, Shygirl and Dorian Electra, and his evermore groundbreaking solo work. As part of the NUXXE collective he co-founded, Bodega was featured in 2018’s Dazed 100, a list of the most influential artists operating in art and media today. A keen soundtracker, Bodega scored Nike’s 2018 Jumpman advert, contributed music to Rihanna’s Puma x Fenty show at New York Fashion Week, and provided sound design for Brooke Candy and PornHub’s landmark I Love You, the first adult film to feature full-length gay, lesbian and trans scenes all under one title. Bodega’s production on NUXXE co-owner Shygirl’s ‘BB’ also claimed a spot being synched in a global campaign for Rihanna’s Fenty brand.
These accolades, alongside “Salvador”, his now cherished debut album, an ever-expanding list of creative endeavours and more to come for the rest of 2020, Sega Bodega is poised to enter the pantheon of pop’s great polymaths.