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Gaby Moreno, is a Grammy-nominated Guatemalan singer-songwriter, producer, film composer and guitarist. Singing in both English and Spanish, Moreno's music covers many genres including Latin, Alternative, Blues, Folk and Americana.[1][2]

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Gaby Moreno
Gaby Moreno in a concert playing the guitar
Background information
Birth name	María Gabriela Moreno Bonilla
Origin	Guatemala City, Guatemala
Genres	Blues, Latin, Alternative, Folk and Americana
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Metamorfosis, Nonesuch Records
Website	www.gaby-moreno.com

Biography

Since moving to Los Angeles from her native Guatemala, singer-songwriter-producer Gaby Moreno has released seven full-length records, earned a GRAMMY nomination for her album Illusion (Best Latin Pop Album, 2017), received multiple Latin GRAMMY nominations and won a Latin GRAMMY for “Best New Artist” in 2013.

As a recording artist and live performer, Moreno has shared the studio and stage with a plethora of popular performers including Bono, fellow Guatemalan Oscar Isaac, actor/musician Hugh Laurie, Jackson Browne, Punch Bros and Buena Vista Social Club to name a few. The music video for Fuiste Tu, her duet with Ricardo Arjona, has amassed over 1 billion views on Youtube.[3]

As a composer, Moreno recorded and produced the score for the feature film Language Lessons (directed by Natalie Morales and co-written/starring Morales and Mark Duplass) and received an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Song” for the theme song to NBC’s show Parks and Recreation starring SNL alum Amy Poehler.

Moreno sings the theme song and voices a character (Marlena) for the multiple Emmy Award-winning Disney children’s television series, Elena of Avalor, which features Disney's first Latina princess.[4] Her version of the classic song Cucurrucucú Paloma was featured in a key scene during the last season of the Netflix original show Orange Is The New Black.

More recently, Moreno has released the Latin Grammy-nominated album Spangled (a collaboration with Van Dyke Parks through Nonesuch Records), a full-length album Dreamers Dream On with her three-part harmony side project The SongBirds and released her self-produced, seventh solo studio album 'Alegoría'.[5]

In 2022, Moreno appeared alongside Rupert Grint in a Catherine Hardwicke-directed episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities screening on Netflix.[6]

Critical praise

KCRW's Ariana Morgernstern, producer of Morning Becomes Eclectic, featured Moreno in an October 2008 podcast and bestowed "Today's Top Tune" status on her song "Song of You." She said she was "caught by surprise with its organic and understated feel. She sings beautifully both in English and Spanish.[7]

NPR reviewed Moreno's debut record Still the Unknown and said: "Whether Moreno decides to stick with pop, soul or Latin (or a fusion of all three) for future releases, Still the Unknown is a promising debut that indicates she won't go unnoticed for much longer."[8]

In 2006, she won the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest with her song "Escondidos," first in the Latin category, then overall.

In July 2010, Moreno was nominated with her co-writer Vincent Jones for an Emmy in the category of "Outstanding Main Title Theme Music" for their theme song to NBC's Parks and Recreation.[9]

In 2010, Moreno was awarded "Favorite American Latino Indie Artist" at the American Latino Awards (run by American Latino TV).

2011:

• "Gaby Moreno's soulful vocals and ability to switch languages and genres have made her a rising star." – NPR All Things Considered[10]
• "The Guatemalan songwriter Gaby Moreno plucked ragtimey syncopations on a well-worn acoustic guitar, and let loose a tangy, bluesy voice with the feistiness of Édith Piaf." – The New York Times[11]
• "Moreno's breathtaking voice is passionate and stylistically malleable, as she glides back and forth easily between bossa nova and bluesy rock." – NPR Tiny Desk Concerts[12]
• "This Guatemalan American singer-songwriter alternates fluidly between languages, whether spoken (English and Spanish) or musical, easing in and out of everything from folksy alt country to retro blues rock …Plucky, quirky and insightful, Moreno has the grace and the skill to make it big." – Rhapsody: No. 3 in Top 10 Latin Alt Albums of Spring 2011[13]
• "Our little secret is neither little nor secret any more ...[On] Illustrated Songs, influences of soul and Spanish ballads explode in a synergy of musical pieces that impeccably represent a young artist with a rich, old soul" – Al Borde[14]
• "I really fell in love with this record, because there is so much to her voice …her voice really stands out – very sweet and soulful … adapting to different genres of music … she can go from a dreamy/folksy, very laid back feel, to a tougher edge blast of R&B, to a song that reminds me of something from the 1920s ...to a Brazilian bossa nova song that she sings in English and Spanish." – Felix Contreras, NPR's "Alt. Latino"[15]
• "The Best [New] Latin Music... Meet your next favorite from the Spanish-speaking world: Gaby Moreno, Old-School, soulful pop... Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald are hard acts to follow, but Gaby Moreno takes her idols' signature bluesiness and marries it with a little Latin flare" – Latina[16]

2012

• "5 Latinos to Look Out for in 2012" – "Joan Smalls, Gaby Moreno, Jorge Garcia, Thomas Suarez and Mayra Alvarez will probably become household names in the months to come. Her new album, Illustrated Songs, was listed one of "The Best Latin Music Albums of 2011" by About.com, and she will be busy touring Europe, Latin America and the U.S. in 2012." – NBC Latino[17]
• "The more a thing is stereotyped to death, the more refreshing it is to encounter the skilled reaffirmation of its ideal. With Guatemala-born, L.A.-based Gaby Moreno (October 9, McRaney's Tavern), it's the female singer-songwriter form that she has rescued from the abyss of cliché. She doesn't radically change its rules or anything – she just does it with a little more flavor and a lot more skill. And that's what separates her from typical coffeehouse fare. With an exceptionally rich and assured voice, and a palette that spans Latin, blues, folk, jazz and pop, she's a marquee talent. Her singing is effortlessly bright with purpose and not just a display of ostentatious acrobatics. In fact, there's something very classic about her expression. In her voice, the flame of the female greats is alive." – Orlando Weekly[18]

Career

2009/2010

• In August 2009, Moreno toured with established singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman.
• Later in November 2009, Moreno toured as direct support for Ani Difranco, on an East Coast tour. Difranco invited Moreno back out on tour January/February 2010.
• July 2010: Tour in Germany (e.g. in Constance, Heidelberg and Ravensburg) and France

2011

• In early 2011 Moreno and her band played their first headlining tour. They toured through the Netherlands and Belgium performing as part of the "World Sessions" tour. In addition, Moreno and her band opened as direct support for Nouvelle Vague for three shows in Germany.
• In late 2011 Gaby toured the U.S. East coast as direct support for The Milk Carton Kids.

2012

• February 2012: Concerts in France
• Spring 2012: Concerts together with Ricardo Arjona during his "Metamorfosis World Tour"
• June 2012: Performance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" to commemorate 50 years of Amnesty International, together with Kris Kristofferson and others.
• May/June 2012: Concerts in Ireland ("Electric Burma" in honor of Aung San Suu Kyi together with Bono, Damien Rice, Bob Geldof, Angelique Kidjo etc.), Germany, France and London (with Van Dyke Parks)
• July 2012: Concerts in France, including Le Havre, Verdun and Paris.

2013

• Toured with Hugh Laurie and The Copper Bottom Band through Europe.

2014

• March 2014: She toured with Hugh Laurie and The Copper Bottom Band through South America, namely Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

2015

Festival Acústico: Gaby Moreno y amigos

• 28 February: The first day of the festival included performances of Óscar Isaac, Sara Watkins, and Ishto Juevez.
• 1 March: Gaby Moreno gave her second concert of the festival. After her performance of the songs Ave que Migra and Blues de Mar, she introduced her guest Devorah Rahel with whom she played the song Y Tu Sombra. Her next guest was El Gordo, followed by Ishto Juevez. Gaby also played a song called Maldición, Bendición, which is part of her new production. The festival also included musical appearances of Alex Ferreira, Mexican singer Ximena Sariñana, and Natalia Lafurcade.[19]

Europe Tour

• 19 March 2015: Theater Akzent – Vienna, Austria (The first time she played in Vienna)
• 20 March 2015: Casino Kulturraum – Friedrichshafen, Germany
• 21 March 2015: La Spirale – Fribourg, Switzerland
• 24 March 2015: Cankar Centre – Ljubljana, Slovenia

New York City

• 24 July 2015: Lincoln Center – Out of Doors

2016

Starting 2016 Gaby Moreno is a reoccurring guest on Live From Here

2018

Gaby Moreno released a cover of Trinidadian artist David Rudder's 1998 song "The Immigrants," made with arranger and producer Van Dyke Parks, ahead of the 4 July holiday, with proceeds going to benefit CARECEN.[20]

2019

¡Spangled!, a collaboration between Gaby Moreno and Van Dyke Parks, was released on Metamorfosis & Nonesuch Records. The album includes a bolero from Panama, a bossa nova from Brazil, a song by Moreno, David Rudder's "The Immigrants," and Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, and Jim Dickinson's song "Across the Borderline," performed with Cooder and Jackson Browne.[21]

Discography

Albums

• 2009: Still the Unknown (released independently)[22]
• 2010: A Good Old Christmastime EP (released independently)[23]
• 2011: European release of Still the Unknown (World Connection Records)[24]
• 2011: Illustrated Songs (released independently)
• 2012: European release of Illustrated Songs (World Connection Records)[25]
• 2012: Postales (Metamorfosis)[26]
• 2014: Posada (Christmas Album)[27][28]
• 2016: Illusion[29]
• 2019: ¡Spangled![30]
• 2022: Alegoría (Metamorfosis)

Singles

• 2009: Smile – The Cove – sang the song "Smile" (written by Charlie Chaplin) in the Academy Award-winning documentary[31]
• 2010: Quizas – cover song
• 2017: He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother – cover song in collaboration with Mike Garson
• 2018: The Immigrants – in collaboration with Van Dyke Parks

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Note(s)
2013	Hugh Laurie: Live On The Queen Mary	Backing Vocals
2019	La Llorona	Title song

Television

Year	Title	Role	Note(s)
2017	Family Guy	(voice)	Episode: "Dearly Deported"
2018–20	Elena of Avalor	Marlena (voice)	3 episodes
2019	Undone	Herself	Episode: "Alone In This (You Have Me)"

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

A Grammy Award is an accolade by the Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry.[32]

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2017	Ilusión	Best Latin Pop Album	Nominated

Latin Grammy Awards

A Latin Grammy Award is an accolade by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2012	"Fuiste Tú"	Record of the Year	Nominated
2013	Gaby Moreno	Best New Artist	Won
2020	¡Spangled!	Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album	Nominated
2021	Bolero de la vida (with Omara Portuondo)	Best Tropical Song	Nominated

References

External links

• Gaby Moreno at AllMusic

На других языках

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[de] Gaby Moreno

Gaby Moreno (* 16. Dezember 1981 in Guatemala-Stadt, Guatemala als Maria Gabriela Moreno Bonilla) ist eine Sängerin, Songschreiberin und Gitarristin. Gaby Moreno singt ihre von Blues, Soul und Jazz beeinflussten Lieder auf Englisch und Spanisch. In Lateinamerika wurde sie Anfang 2012 durch das Lied Fuiste tú, das Ricardo Arjona 2011 mit ihr aufnahm, einem größeren Publikum bekannt.

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- [en] Gaby Moreno

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[es] Gaby Moreno

María Gabriela Moreno Bonilla (Ciudad de Guatemala, 16 de diciembre de 1981), conocida profesionalmente como Gaby Moreno, es una cantautora y guitarrista guatemalteca. Su música abarca desde blues, jazz, soul a R&B. También canta en inglés, francés y portugués.[1]

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