Gaby Moreno played two shows in LA and New York to allow fans to preview songs from her September 2016 release of her next album titled Ilúsion. (NOTE: Since this article was originally posted, Ilusion has been released. See videos here)
I was lucky enough to hear about these shows and get tickets for her LA appearance, which was at a venue right on the edge of Downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row. As our Lyft driver got us to the venue, I flashed back almost 30 years when I noticed my old work space where I did music promotion out of at 5th & Towne. Back then I had wondered if Skid Row would ever change. But, the depth of hard times and sadness seems to be just as hard as it ever was, if not harder than it ever seemed, as we drove past piles of trash, tents on the sidewalk and homeless people aimlessly pushing shopping carts. A lot of them looking like they were jonesing. It doesn't seem to me that times have gotten better for the poorest of the poor in LA. In fact, it looks to be worse than ever! More focus is needed to help these people who have somehow landed in this situation.
Around the corner a few blocks away, it has changed. There is an Urth Caffe (a stellar boutique chain of coffee house/restaurants) sitting right next door to beautiful music venue known as Resident. The outdoor food and cocktail court at Resident provides a sweet spot to chat with friends, eat and drink before the show begins inside. This might just be the coolest small music venue in LA, just the right place to see this darling artist named Gaby Moreno.
Gaby's sang songs in English, Spanish and Spanglish. Her group was small with bass, drums, a guitarist and Gaby on vocals and guitar. Her voice is so unique, smokey with her own trademark soul that transcends or combines genres, that it's hard to describe or pigeon hole her as anything except as beautiful.
While there are no recordings available of the new record online yet, it is very well worth digging through her earlier works and live performances such as the recordings below and others we have featured on this network.
This first one is of Gaby sweetly performing in Spanish, the classic Mexican huapango-style song titled Cucurrucucú Paloma. Written about lovesickness, it was originally written by Tomás Méndez in 1954. The title is a reference to the sound of the dove calling.
Gaby Moreno - Cucurrucucú Paloma
The next song below is of Gaby singing one of my favorite songs of her's in English. It's a protest song that she wrote, which is perfect, because Gaby does and always has marched to the beat of her own drum. It's a call to not give in or sell out, keeping fire in the belly and not to let other people paint one blue. It's titled "Sing Me Life".
Gaby Moreno - Sing Me Life
Connect direct with Gaby Moreno at Gaby-Moreno.Com, Facebook.com/gabymorenoband, Twitter.com/gabymorenomusic, and on Instagram.com/gaby_moreno
See Gaby's music video to her song titled Ave Que Emigra on our network here: http://www.musicload.com/2013/02/gaby-moreno-ave-que-emigra.html
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The above post was created on June 17, 2016, with subsequent edits and updates by Mariana L. Villanueva for The Indies Network.