Flower-Powered Artist - February 2009

Gaby Moreno

We're familiar with the story of artists who move away from home to pursue their careers. It's a situation our February 2009 Flower-Powered Artist of the Month has dealt with and we're glad that she managed to successfully establish a career here in Los Angeles. We are talking about the Guatemalan singer / songwriter named Gaby Moreno.

Gaby was born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala to a non-musical family. It wasn't really a struggle for young Gaby to find the inspiration that brought out her interest in creating music. Aside from the native Spanish music she was exposed to, she quickly developed an affinity for music legends like BB King, Robert Johnson and Nina Simone. In fact, she learned her first lessons in speaking English by singing their songs. With the support of her parents, she got to sing in festivals and concerts around their town.

When it was time to pick up an instrument, Gaby chose the saxophone. It was a short-lived affair. She quickly realized that the saxophone was not good for vocalists so she got rid of it and went in search of a new instrument. It was when she was around 16 years old when her mom brought home a nylon classical guitar for her to try. Having no other choice for instrument but the guitar, as she came from a non-musical family, she picked up the guitar with slight hesitation. It didn't take much time for Gaby to get comfortable with the guitar as she immediately learned a few chords and started writing her very first blues song. Since then, Gaby and her classical guitar became inseparable.

The realization that she had to move out of her hometown to pursue a musical career dawned on Gaby's mind. The choice of where to go was easy. She learned about the Musician's Institute in Los Angeles from a friend. With her guitar in hand and a few personal belongings, Gaby moved to Los Angeles, CA in 2001. She then took a vocal program at the Musician's Institute where she met and became friends with several artists and musicians, including Leslie Lowe and Sebastian Aymanns. Within a few years, Gaby, Leslie and Sebastian decided to get together and form a band.

In 2006, Gaby got to co-write a pop song with Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida for the Canadian Idol Eva Avila, titled Meant To Fly. This song became the first single of Avila's record and went on to receive nationwide radio airplay in Canada. Gaby's big break in songwriting came with being the first to win the coveted “Maxell Song of the Year” award in Latin category during the 2006 Lennon Awards for the song Escondidos, a song that was co-written with Ari Shine and Victor Indrizzo. Winning the competition opened up the opportunity for Gaby and her band to do an opening performance for Fergie's show in New York City.

The next step was to create an album. It took her more than a year to finish writing songs for this project. With the help of their producer, Jay Bellerose (renowned drummer/percussionist for Paula Cole, Joe Henry, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss), Gaby and her band went on to record the songs. It only took them about a week to finish the recording process in Bellerose's home. The result was a raw and intimate recording titled Still The Unknown. The debut album, Still The Unknown, was independently released on June 24, 2008. A song from the record, Greenhorne Man, was recently featured in the TV show “Lincoln Heights.”

KGRL is very proud to present our February 2009 Flower-Powered Artist, Gaby Moreno. Gaby joined KGRL in the studio with bandmates Leslie Lowe and Sebastian Aymanns, for an exclusive performance shot in high-definition video and audio. Check out our CD review of Still The Unknown and take a gander at fabulous photos shot by our dear friend Jeff Koga. But wait, don't miss our comprehensive interview with Gaby Moreno (along with Leslie Lowe and Sebastian Aymanns) in video, audio, & transcribed form.

As per our usual monthly feature, we are giving away 3 signed Still The Unknown CDs! Just e-mail me at contests [at] kgrl.fm and tell us why you deserve to win. Don't forget that you can request a FREE copy of the FPA live session DVDs as well!

KGRL Gaby Moreno Interview

KGRL had an opportunity to sit down with Guatemalan singer / songwriter Gaby Moreno, along with her bandmates Leslie Lowe and Sebastian Aymanns, for a comprehensive interview right after our KGRL FPA Live Sessions held at The Alley Studio - 12.22.08.

Gaby Moreno Video Interview (Click to launch the player!)
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Still The Unknown CD Review

Gaby Moreno was an unknown to me when I purchased her debut album, Still The Unknown, back in 2008. I didn't expect much when I popped her record in my player. Perhaps that was a good thing. It's like watching a movie I know nothing about which ends up being memorable. How memorable an experience was Still The Unknown was to me the first time I listened to it? Keep on reading and I'll tell you all about it.

The record greeted me with a warm welcome in the form of a blues/soul track with a slinky hook, titled Little Sorrow. What drew my attention immediately was the soft and sultry voice of Gaby that could be surprisingly powerful when needed. The next thing I noticed was the effectiveness of the shifting tempo between the stanzas and chorus. This was heightened further after the first chorus with the graceful re-entry of the bassline. I was sold. By the end of this first track, I began to have higher expectations about the rest of the songs on the record.

Continuing the mood set by the first track, Wrong Side Of The Road exposed me to another quality blues experience. The arrangement is fairly restrained and focused on melody rather than going all-out-rock. Gaby's expressive vocal work complements the slow build-up of this track. As it stands, it's a beautiful melodic track that exudes a smooth and relaxing atmosphere, though I feel that this song also has the potential to be a rock-out-loud crowd pleaser with the obligatory lengthy electric guitar solos. Bring on the slide guitar solos!

And the blues juice just keeps on flowing. The third track, Letter To A Mad Woman, breathes a similar air of soulful melody. While I feel that Wrong Side Of The Road could be turned into a rock tune, this one is in a perfectly smooth progression. The build-up to the catchy chorus is simply immaculate. Later I found out that the song was written out of disgust for a woman who had said some bad things about Jewish people.

With the fourth track, we are treated to The Beatles-esque fancies of Gaby with the track Song Of You. Song Of You's sweet melody wrapped in vintage sounds delivered in a whispery-soft voice, instantly wooed me. And who can resist this song's charm? It sounds like a bona fide Lennon / McCarthy composition. This song is perfect for those who seek a new love theme. But don't stop with having your special someone simply listening to it. You can do something better. Go ahead and send them the link to the FPA Live Session HD version of Song Of You.

Since You Came Along continues to push the lovestick right through the heart. For some reason, I see a vivid image of lovers sitting by the beach near an open fire. The background vocals stands out like the sounds of gentle waves swishing and swooshing. It just feels so heavenly listening to this track.

Of course, given Gaby's roots, there is bound to be a Spanish track. We are treated to her rendition of the 1920s Spanish classic, Amapola. The piano-driven revitalized classic was sung in both Spanish and English. This cover retains the vintage sheen of the original, while adding a new radiance with Gaby's endearing and delicate voice.

The album title-track, Still The Unknown, is a haunting and emotional piece of music. Perhaps this song sums up Gaby's feelings when she left her hometown to live in LA and pursue her musical career. The steady beat of the drum seems to beckon us to move forward, follow that dream, and not be scared of doing it alone. This song sounds very different from the rest of the tracks on the album. But I don't mean that in the negative way, since this song is one of my favorite tracks.

Greenhorne Man suddenly throws in a curve and provides a sudden jolt of funky blues rock. The contrast is quite stark after experiencing such a dauntingly-emotional track, Still The Unknown. Gaby's voice is in full force on this track, which provides weight to the “heaviest” song on the record. Being the track with the best use of the full-band sound, this track is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. It's deliciously upbeat and funky. So get on your boots and move with the rhythm! And this is the part where I'll point you to the FPA Live Session HD version of this song. Rock on!

We get another Spanish song with La Vez Que No Me Pude Atrever. This time it's an original. It's not exactly one of the tracks that I'd listen to a lot, perhaps partly because I don't understand what she's singing about but mostly because it has the least inspired melody of all the tracks on the record.

The album concludes with the song It's Been A Pleasure. This last track is another emotional stunner that once again reminds us of the sound of The Beatles. The melody takes on the center stage, thanks to the very raw and organic sound of the accompaniment. It's one of those songs that sounds so familiar yet you haven't heard of before and that's because the melody is so addictive that it's extremely easy to get stuck in your head. The track ends in tension with the final notes played on keyboard, quite eerie and perhaps, provocative.

What can I say to conclude this review? The title of the last track pretty much sums up my experience with Still The Unknown. It's been a pleasure! Whether it be The Beatles-esque hooks, tear-jerker melodies, or funky rhythms, Still The Unknown is poised to bring Gaby out of the unknown and into the known.

Gaby Moreno Photos

KGRL FPA Live Session - The Alley Studio 12.22.08

KGRL proudly presents another installment of our FPA Live Sessions monthly series. This month we present the Guatemalan singer / songwriter Gaby Moreno (with Leslie Lowe on bass and Sebastian Aymanns on drums). The streams can be viewed using our embedded flash player. We do hope you enjoy these wonderful exclusive videos shot in high-def video and audio. There are also 720p (1280 x 720 resolution) high-definition videos of Gaby Moreno's Song Of You and Greenhorne Man.



And remember, those of you who support the station by donations can request a copy of the DVD. Click here for more information on how to obtain the DVD!


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Wrong Side Of The Road	It's Been A Pleasure	Letter To A Mad Woman
Little Sorrow	Song Of You	Greenhorne Man

Song Of You 83.3Mb

Greenhorne Man 100Mb