The unique Southwestern musical mix and bilingual lyrical themes of female strength and empowerment on Luna Negra and the Daughter of the Sun, the second solo album from singer-songwriter Lisa Morales, continue to earn her rave reviews. The veteran live performer has also added new tour dates into the summer, many opening for Los Lonely Boys, with appearances coming up in Los Angeles and New York City.
Morales's latest media coverage has been in cities that figure largely in her musical and personal background: Tuscon, Arizona, where she was born and raised, and started performing music in her youth. San Antonio is where Lisa resided for many years during which she and her sibling Roberta enjoyed a successful independent musical career as Sisters Morales with six albums to their credit and a strong following as a live act throughout the Southwest and beyond.
The Arizona Republic praises "the love, pain, and emotions that course through the 11 tracks on her album.... Morales wrings out of her music the sorrows and joys that she as a woman, mother and daughter, has experienced in her life but within restrained sentiments. There is no overwrought drama but certainly deep feelings rise to the surface."
In the article Morales explains that she and her producer, Michael Ramos — known for his work with the BoDeans, Patty Griffin, and John Mellencamp — "were on the same page. He did a beautiful job." She has also produced albums, most notably the acclaimed Flowers & Liquor by Hayes Carll. With an all-star crew of players like Charlie Sexton (Bob Dylan), Adrian Quesada (Grupo Fantasma, Prince), David Garza (Juliana Hatfield, Fiona Apple), and Los Lonely Boys bassist Jojo Garza and Los Lobos drummer Cougar Estrada, plus vocal contributions by the late Jimmy LaFave and Eliza Gilkyson, "The whole thing was fun," she says. "There was not a moment that the recording was a labor. Everybody brought something to the table."
The Tucson Sentinel notes how Morales "grew up immersed in music and language" in her hometown. Her mother raised her on quotes from literary giants like Spanish poet Gabriel Garcia Lorca and taught her the beauty and flexibility of the Spanish language, while her brother gave her more of a rock and roll education, helping turn her on to bands like Buffalo Springfield and songwriting luminaries such as Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell.
Morales started performing with her siblings at a young age, singing in Spanish at Mexican restaurants around town including the now defunct institution La Fuente. She kept on performing through her middle school and high school years. The publication lauds her "multi-textured fusion of border rock, Texas guitar blues, and Americana."
The San Antonio Express-News observes how "songs such as 'I Want the Roses,' set to an invigorating huapango beat, and 'Strong Enough' are declarations of self-respect and empowerment.” With the #MeToo and Time's Up movements reshaping opinions about women's issues, they couldn't be more timely.
"It's been all our lives. Enough is enough," Morales says. "It's interesting that it all came out around the same time, but I think (we) as a whole all over the world are ready for that to change."
She also discusses how writing and singing songs in both Spanish and English bring an extra resonance to the emotional impact of Luna Negra and the Daughter of the Sun. "It's deeper," she says. "I think it's because there are more adjectives in Spanish, more words to describe emotions. 'Amable,' it means more than nice or kind, beyond those words... You sing from a deeper place when you sing in Spanish. That's where I wanted to go with this when I wrote."
Morales's shared bills with Los Lonely Boys have proven to be an ideal musical pairing. As Grateful Web writes of a previous show together, "She offered finely crafted songwriting, guitar licks, and emotional vocals that confirmed a credibility and authenticity that speaks to real-life experiences. Her 30-minute set of Latin-influenced music was well received by the crowd, many of whom stood during the ovation at the conclusion of her performance."
For more information: www.lisamoralesmusic.com
Lisa Morales tour dates April 15 San Juan Capistrano CA Coach House w/Los Lonely Boys April 17 Fresno CA Fulton 55 w/Los Lonely Boys April 18 Santa Cruz Rio Theatre w/Los Lonely Boys April 19 Santa Clarita CA Canyon w/Los Lonely Boys April 20 Las Vegas NV Boulder Station w/Los Lonely Boys April 21 Los Angeles CA Luckman Fine Arts w/Los Lonely Boys April 22 Solana Beach CA Belly Up w/Los Lonely Boys April 24-25 Berkeley CA Freight & Salvage w/Los Lonely Boys May 5 Navasota TX Navasota City Hall May 12 Houston TX Mucky Duck May 19 Galveston TX Old Quarter June 7 Conroe TX Heritage Place Amphitheater June 13 New York NY City Winery w/Los Lonely Boys June 14 Sellersville PA ST94 w/Los Lonely Boys June 15 Annapolis MD Ram's Head Onstage w/Los Lonely Boys June 16 Pawling NY Daryls House w/Los Lonely Boys\ June 28 Dallas TX Fair Park w/Los Lonely Boys July 29 Arvada CO Arvada Amphitheater w/Los Lonely Boys Sept. 28 Galveston TX Galveston Bay Songwriter Festival
