The artists celebrate their roots and musical connection
In the 1940s, the Guatemalan composer and guitarist Paco Pérez wrote “Luna De Xelajú,” a famed waltz that became so popular, it’s considered Guatemala’s second national anthem. The song has endured throughout the decades, and it’s one singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno has been performing since she was a teenager. She’s even sang it onstage a few times with actor and musician Oscar Isaac over the years.
On Friday, Moreno and Isaac decided to celebrate their roots by sharing an acoustic rendition of “Luna De Xelajú,” alongside a music video that shows them singing in on an empty, intimate stage at the Palace Theater in Los Angeles. Recording the track, Moreno says, was a way “of paying homage to the motherland.”
“We’ve performed this song live together a few times and it’s always been really special. Just like me, this song also means a lot to [Oscar] as it honors his roots and family from Guatemala.
I’m a huge fan of him as a singer and guitar player,” she tells Rolling Stone.
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In a statement, Isaac adds that their version of “Luna De Xelajú” speaks to their connection as friends and as artists. “There’s something that happens every time Gaby and I get together and sing that feels like coming home,” Isaac said. “A gentle synchronicity happens between us that is just so gratifying. She’s an astounding talent and dear friend who continues to inspire me as an artist and human being.”
The duet will appear on Moreno’s upcoming project X MÍ (VOL. 1), which is out on May 5 via Cosmica Artists. The album is Moreno’s first fully acoustic album, with six songs she wrote and composed, in addition to the “Luna De Xelajú” cover. “I wanted to get back to the origin of the songs and how they sounded as soon as I finished writing them. All you will hear is guitar and voice. It’s my most personal and intimate album yet,” she says.
