Thania Garcia Oscar Isaac and Gaby Moreno pay homage to their Guatemalan roots with a stripped-down rendition of the classic waltz anthem, “Luna de Xelajú.” The lead single off Moreno’s upcoming album arrived Friday alongside a music video directed by Diego Contreras (Fireland) which sees the two guitarists and singers performing the track in one take at the Palace Theater in Los Angeles. “‘Luna de Xelajú’ is considered the 2nd anthem of my country, Guatemala.
Written by Paco Pérez in the 1940s,” explains Moreno. “I’ve been singing it since I was a teenager and more recently have been performing this song live in my concerts, usually as an encore.
I invited my dear friend and incredible artist, Oscar Isaac, to sing it with me for this very special acoustic version…Just two voices with two guitars, singing together this timeless, sweet, and nostalgic song from our motherland.” Isaac is no stranger to displaying his musical prowess on screen.
The Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated actor played a struggling folk musician in the Coen Brothers-directed “Inside Llewyn Davis,” and also co-wrote an original song for the 2011 film “10 Years.” However, “Luna de Xelajú” is particularly notable because it sees Isaac singing in Spanish. “My grandmother Graciela Argentina Nicolle de Estrada would perform ‘Luna De Xelajú’ in the concert halls of Guatemala.
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