Not too long ago, we watched Barack Obama, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and others come together in the emotion-filled YouTube campaign “Dear Class of 2020” to an unforgettable and upbeat tune. A tune that made all the strangeness and uncertainty of this year seem like a minor bump in the road; a song that inspired us and made us see the light at the end of the tunnel; a beat that simply made us believe again. “Fire Inside” was co-written by the talented Guatemalan artist, Gaby Moreno.
María Gabriela Moreno Bonilla began nurturing her love for music in her hometown of Guatemala City. Who knew that her curiosity for music and her parents’ unconditional support would lead her to move to Los Angeles, become a singer, songwriter, and producer that has released 6 albums mixing sounds of folk, blues, and soul in both English and Spanish? She did.
“My inspiration comes from life. I have been singing since I was young and started writing songs when I was a teenager. I learned that I could write songs about anything; that inspiration itself comes from art, music, movies, books, poems, personal experiences or even experiences of others. Sometimes I even make up my own stories. My Hispanic heritage also influences my inspiration. My Guatemalan background has been an essential part of who I am, of my career and everything I do.”
Seemingly out of nowhere, in 2006, Moreno won the Grand Prize at the John Lennon Songwriting Contest being the first contestant in the Latin category to win. a Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2013. She also won a Grammy nomination for her album “Illusion” (Best Latin Pop Album, 2017) and an Emmy nomination for co-writing the title track for the television series ‘Parks & Recreation.’ Gaby also sings the theme song and voices the character of Marlena in the Disney television series, ‘Elena of Avalor’, which features Disney’s first Latin princess.
The accomplishments mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg, but this hasn’t affected her and her down-to-earth approach to life, especially in times of a worldwide pandemic.
“I’ve enjoyed being home for this long. For the last couple of years, I have been travelling; I haven’t been in a place for more than two to three weeks at a time. It was crazy how much travelling I was doing! Now, I’ve been home for four months, and it’s amazing. It was a big change, but I am loving it. [...] We need to learn to slow down. We need to take a look around us, appreciate the things that matter the most to us and value them. We need to pay more attention to that instead of your own ambition, your work -even though they might be important- because the simpler things in life are the best.”
Based on her organic approach to life, her musical inspiration has poured out of her heart with no end in sight, gifting the world of hope and balance.
“I love many different types of music and have been into many different varieties- as well-, but when I moved to L.A. I found a love for old Latin American music; I started rediscovering it. Of course, it was something I was aware of, but I didn’t appreciate it as much until I moved here. At first, I was just trying [beats and rhythms] out, and then I ended up liking how it sounded. [...] There are no specific Latin rhythms that I go to. Actually, I don’t even think my music sounds very Latin (laughter); it’s a weird mix of a lot of different things. It’s definitely not Latin in the traditional sense of the word. I let people decide how they’d like to classify my songs.”
‘Yemayá’, the new and groundbreaking collaboration between Gaby Moreno and Camilo Lara from the Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS) embodies all of this and more, as it’s a melancholic love song framed in a tropical and electronic environment. Jennifer Velez from Grammy.com went ahead and declared: “Moreno, whose soothing voice we have heard magically adapt to a range of genres including Americana, Latin folk and R&B, continues exploring her creative range this time with GRAMMY-nominated Lara in the synth-infused, mystifying track blending pop and Latin sounds.”
The authors of Yemayá met at the Red Bull Studios back in 2019 and experienced unmatchable work chemistry.
“It had always been really tricky to get together and collaborate. A year and a half ago, Camilo Lara was here in L.A. and proceeded to invite me over to see what we could write together. With writing sessions like that it can be pretty weird because I’ve done plenty where nothing comes out of it. It’s like the chemistry is not there, but with Camilo it was different. The day I got there, he played me the musical idea, and he already had the title, ‘Yemayá’. I had no idea who that was or what that meant. After doing some research, we wrote the song inspired in said deity.”
Yemayá- the inspiration behind Moreno’s and Lara’s masterpiece- is a water deity that originated in the content of Africa. Due to the Transatlantic slave trade, she is now the keystone in many religions all around the world. She is mother-like and protective of her children; Yemayá comforts them and cleans them of mundane sorrow, including infertility in women and poverty. Even though it is in her nature to be ever-loving and collected, when angered, this goddess can be destructive and violent, as the floodwaters of turbulent rivers.
Gaby Moreno presents this new collaboration after having released her album, Spangled in the company of Van Dyke Parks in 2019 receiving acclaimed criticism from the media. The song ‘Immigrants’ was included in the L.A. Times “California Sounds: 5 essential songs of anti-racism”, a subject she has a clear message about considering the current political climate of the United States:
“I have always felt this sense of responsibility as a Latina- as an immigrant- to sing about certain issues; to be the voice of those who don’t have one. In this particular time, it’s bizarre. There is something brewing, and I feel we need to take a step back, listen, and educate ourselves to not spew out hate and misinformed opinions. It’s a time to reflect, to look inside ourselves, to know our true feelings and analyze how they are transmitted and conveyed to the outside world. I’m trying to remain as receptive as possible to all these sensitive issues out there.”
What can we expect from this Guatemalan prodigy in the next upcoming years, you ask?
“Well, you can expect more music. I’m planning on releasing a new album next year with all original songs. I will continue producing talented musicians while I proceed to work in a project with a very talented Cuban artist. The finished product might come out at the end of this year or early next year. So keep posted!”
