Music: Gabriel Moreno and Ned Cartwright / El Hall

GABRIEL MORENO is a Gibraltan singer-songwriter, currently based in London. An irresistibly engaging performer, he combines a latin exuberance and passion with a rare lyrical calibre (an accomplished poet, he has 12 books published to date). Performing on nylon string guitar and accompanied by pianist NED CARTWRIGHT, he creates a live experience that has been described as ”Taberna Folk” – energetic and intimate, anarchic and absorbing.

He has thrilled audiences across South America, the USA and Europe, including recent sets at UK festivals Wilderness, The Great British Folk Festival and Purbeck Valley Folk Festival, and has been championed by the likes of BBC 6 Music’s Cerys Matthews, his sonorous baritone and poetic lyrics often seeing him compared to such luminary wordsmiths as Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave and Bill Callahan. Moreno won the Introducing Stage at the Great British Folk Festival in 2019.

“An offshoot of Leonard Cohen and Neil Diamond – I love it!” – Cerys Matthews, BBC 6 Music

“The songs tread a path between Folk, Latin and cabaret torch song. It’s an oddly effective mix which forms the perfect bed for Gabriel Moreno’s distinctive voice.” -(Trevor Raggart, RNR magazine)

“It is the tonal breath of Scott Walker, the application of Leonard Cohen, and the beauty, even undercover mischief in the form of sexuality that was given credence by the subtly of the likes of Patti Smith, that makes Gabriel Moreno stand out in a field of observational greats.” (Ian D.Hall, Liverpool Sound and Vision)

EL HALL is a force of nature, harnessing the highest heights of emotions and swinging down to plumb the lowest depths. His heart-racking songs absorb and enthrall, wringing the listener dry until one is left feeling as if they have just been on a momentous journey with the performer. Songs about socio-politics, war, humanity and love combine with anecdotes in song form, of Hall’s many travels across Spain and Latin America. He switches guitar from his Madrid-born Spanish nylon string to his Martin dreadnought steel string, harmonica brace around his neck. Expect immediate mental comparisons with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits and the like. But leave with a lasting impression of a true poet who knows how to move an audience with melody and words.

He has led over a thousand music workshops, teaching music in mental health settings, drug and alcohol recovery centres, schools, prisons and more. He brings his own love and faith in music and spreads it liberally everywhere he goes, his aim to create some space in a troubled mind or soothe a vulnerable soul. El is founder and head of Mind Your Music, Bristol and Somerset’s community mental health and music project.

‘A rough, gruff and tumble voice that pulls away at lyrics this good is the kind of daydream we need in England to reignite a spark for credible new songwriters. Fans of folk, poetry and rock ‘n’ roll should pay attention to this wholly earnest and breathtakingly awe inspiring rogue’ (Alex Lee Thompson, NME)

‘A lot of guff is spoken about ‘authentic voices’. El Hall IS one of those authentic voices. All is shot through with a rare honesty, as heartbreaking in its simplicity as it is in its romance. Never do the lyrics feel phoney. He is heroic and compelling.’ (Anna Britten, Venue Magazine)

In fact, when you listen to this music, be ready for its essence to linger in your head for days.’ (Tim Carroll – Folkwords UK)