Mobetta Loretta
Redlands, California, United States | SELF
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Redlands resident Mobetta Loretta has been chosen from thousands of bands internationally as a nominee for Female Singer/Songwriter of the Year in the 16th Annual International Los Angeles Music Awards.
Mobetta Loretta performs folk and acoustic rock and alternative music.
This is a huge honor for our community and Loretta, as an artist.
The main event, featuring honors and award presentation, will take place on Nov. 9.
The alumni of the event have all agreed that the bragging rights associated with nomination alone have been one of their best tools in catching the eye of important industry professionals who ultimately helped lead them to success. Just ask the Black Eyed Peas.
The L.A. Music Awards, in cooperation with L.A. Music Online, is the biggest and longest-running organization supporting independent music in history. Their wheels turn 52 weeks a year spinning CD’s, choosing quarterly nominees, and hooking up with lesser-known artists who have undiscovered talent and commercial potential.
- Special to the Press Enterprise
Monday, October 26, 2009
"Salt of the Earth" by Mobetta Loretta (Folk Artist from Los Angeles, California(CA))
"Salt of the Earth," Mobetta Loretta's latest CD, would be best described as a modern folk album with a dash of southern rock. Yet it is much more than that because it is such an ambitious and creative work; it was recorded as a concept album with all the songs being inspired by the 1954 album also titled "Salt Of The Earth." In "Copper Pit Miner," Mobetta sings to us about being a copper miner in an upbeat, danceable folk-blues song that features great harmonica. "I Am the Salt of the Earth" is a song in which Mobetta opts to croon to us over a pleasant combination of acoustic guitar and string section. For "Local 809" she sings about antiquated union life over a more modern and toe-tapping blues beat. The songs on this album stand up on their own, as they are great contemporary expressions of a past generation; yet when one factors in that each song is part of an overall theme it really adds substance. So check out Mobetta Loretta's CD, "Salt of the Earth," if you want to hear great folksy blues stories of a day gone by.
-Sean B. and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
- Radio Indy
04:36 PM PST on Friday, November 6, 2009
By VANESSA FRANKO
The Press-Enterprise
When Mobetta Loretta started to work on her new album "Salt of the Earth," she found the story the rootsy, bluesy singer-songwriter wanted to tell in her own family's roots.
The album takes on the 1954 film "Salt of the Earth," which was based on the true life story of her great aunt and uncle. Her uncle, Juan Chacon, starred in the film, which takes on civil rights and women's rights. It was blacklisted during the McCarthy era afbeing dubbed as subversive.
"It always just mulled around in my head," said Loretta Chacon, a.k.a Mobetta Loretta.
Story continues below
Mike Ingram / Special to The Press-Enterprise
Mobetta Loretta has just released her new album, "Salt of the Earth."
However, it wasn't until the Redlands-based musician sat down to write the album when she thought it would be interesting to write songs through the character's voices.
The result has Chacon telling the story of a miner's strike and how the miners' wives replaced them on the picket line through the voices of her aunt and uncle.
"It's an inspiring story," Chacon said.
She even takes on the voice of the company in the song "Hey Main Street," a catchy, bouncy number that she envisioned as the fat cat of the company going down the street.
Chacon has also put together a band for the record, featuring Raul Salazar on drums, Kenn Lutz on bass, Professor Steve on harmonica and Guy James on guitar.
Guests on the album include Flamenco guitarist David Robinson and Lake Elsinore duo Sal and Isela. Sal and Isela will join Mobetta Loretta at The Vault in Redlands on Nov. 14 for the official CD release show.
"It's a folk album but it has all of these different influences tied in that tell the story of my family roots," she said.
Chacon is also working on a documentary about the real events around "Salt of the Earth," which she hopes to submit to independent film festivals and public television stations.
In the meantime, catch Mobetta Loretta at Coffee Depot and the Royal Falconer in Riverside on Sunday and then at her CD release show in Redlands on Nov. 14.
7 p.m. Sunday, Coffee Depot, 3405 Riverside Plaza Drive, Riverside, free, all ages.
9:30 p.m. Sunday, Royal Falconer, 4281 Main St., Riverside.
9:30 p.m. Nov. 14, The Vault Martini Bar, 20 E. Vine St., Redlands, 909-798-2399.
Visit www.mobettaloretta.com for more information and to hear some of the music.
- The Press Enterprise
MOBETTA LORETTA
"Salt of the Earth"
Blues and roots artist Mobetta Loretta hit it out of the park with concept album "Salt of the Earth." It's based on the film of the same name and the story of her great aunt and uncle, which takes on civil rights and women's rights. The Redlands singer/songwriter spins the tale so well that the characters come to life from the speakers.
Key tracks: "Entwined & In Kind," "Hey Main Street"
On the Web: www.mobettaloretta.com
See it live: 10 p.m. Dec. 31, The Palms, Wonder Valley
- iGuide: Inland Socal Music
Mobetta Loretta
By: Waleed Rashidi
CITY OF ORIGIN:
Redlands
MEMBERS & INSTRUMENTS:
Mobetta Loretta a.k.a. Loretta Chacon (vocals, acoustic guitar); Guy James (electric guitar); Raul Salazar (drums); kLutz a.k.a. Kenn Lutz (bass); Professor Steve (harmonica). [Other musicians on album: Geno (keyboards), Sal & Isela (backing vocals); David Robinson (slide, acoustic guitar); Mia Mercado a.k.a. Bluebird (backing vocals)].
RECENT RELEASE:
Salt of the Earth (2009, Mobetta Loretta Productions).
KINDRED SPIRITS:
She’s been compared to Emmylou Harris and Jewel. And that’s not too far off from what we’re hearing, either.
WEBSITE:
www.mobettaloretta.com; www.myspace.com/meetmobettaloretta.
Loretta Chacon—better known in area music circles as Mobetta Loretta—has performed her folky/bluesy acoustic material in recent years to much success. Yet, interestingly enough, one of Loretta’s recent noteworthy endeavors isn’t exactly in music.
Instead, she’s assembling a documentary about the stories of those who influenced her latest album, Salt of the Earth. The film features her great aunt, Virginia Chacon, who Loretta describes as a “pre-feminist thinker” along other miners’ wives to get the female perspective about the strike against the Zinc Mine Company in Silver City, New Mexico, which was featured in the 1954 movie, Salt of the Earth.
“She was instrumental in obtaining civil rights for the miners,” Loretta says, adding that the album was also penned about her great uncle, Juan Chacon, the union leader. “I wanted to find out her story about what it was like to be a woman and live through adversity. She was an ‘overcomer.’”
And in some ways Loretta—initially raised in New Mexico by a single parent—can be viewed as an “overcomer.” Her mother, too, overcame odds, advancing from a GED to a UCLA J.D. “My mother was my inspiration and my primary role-model. She showed me that I could achieve anything that my heart desired.”
Loretta’s heart has a definite desire for songs. And it’s both “[a] blessing and fate” that she’s in Redlands, after growing up in the barrios of L.A., where she was a “thick-skinned, city girl,” yet always retaining her down-home, earthiness inside.
“I also have met and collaborated with so many talented musicians living here that the inspiration is never-ending,” she says.
A staunch advocate of the local scene, Loretta has teamed up with various area notables (see her band members list) and finds playing the IE more satisfying than L.A. “Folks around the Inland Empire are truer to their artistic selves and not so worried about impressing anyone,” Loretta says. “My band plays music because it is what makes us happy. We’re not trying to get rich or trying to get signed. We just want to play music.”
Mobetta Loretta w/The Sibley’s and Killer Sheep at The Palms, 83131 Amboy Rd., Wonder Valley, (760) 361-2810; www.myspace.com/thepalmsvw. Thurs, Dec. 31, 8PM. Free.
- Inland Empire Weekly
Discography
Mobetta Loretta - Debut EP (Self Released November 2006)
Salt of the Earth - Debut Album (Label: Indepth Music, Released October 2009.)
Photos
Bio
Inland Artist, Mobetta Loretta was inspired by her family roots and released her debut album last fall entitled, "Salt of the Earth" on the independent music label, Indepth Music located in Riverside, CA. The album features eleven songs rich with diverse blues, folk and rock influences. There are plenty of hooks and infectious choruses which is supporting a strong radio air-play presence on National Public Radio.
“Salt of the Earth” is a concept album, based upon the characters from a 1954 film with the same title, which starred Mobetta Loretta’s great uncle, Juan Chacon. It was the only movie that was blacklisted by the U.S. government and attacked for being subversive during the McCarthy travesty.
The four piece band includes, Mobetta Loretta (vocals, guitar); Raul Salazar (drums); Professor Steve (harmonica); and David Vermillion (bass). The newly formed Mobetta Loretta Band sounds like it originated straight from the Delta blues mixed with classical rock influences such as Tom Petty, the Grateful Dead and George Harrison -- forming a southern-style, rock band, rich with Americana blends.
When you listen to Mobetta Loretta’s new album, “Salt of the Earth” you will be reminded of writing styles from theme albums such as “Nebraska” from Bruce Springsteen, hear influences from Alison Krauss and Robert Plant’s Grammy-Award winning album, “Raising Sand,” produced by T-Bone Burnett and notice the influences from Dylan’s new band sound from “Modern Times.”
"There was an immediate chemistry between our musical styles," says Mobetta Loretta. "We fused influences from rock together with folk and blues to create our own unique sound. (The music) still has the Mo' Betta blues flavor."
On digital release at CD Baby.com, the album is now available on Apple iTunes and Napster.com, among several other digital retailers. The physical album is also available for purchase on CD Baby, which features original artwork, from which several photos taken on location in New Mexico, lyrical content and a special word from Mobetta Loretta about the album.
“Salt of the Earth” features special contributions from various artists on the album including: Geno (keyboards) from the former band the Boxkutters; Mia Mercado (background vocals) also known as Blue Bird; the fantastic husband and wife duo, Sal & Isela, will feature their original "Mexican-American" style sound (background vocals); and the talented, acoustic stylings of David Robinson (classical, flamenco guitar).
Winner at the Los Angeles Music Awards, Mobetta Loretta received Folk Rock Artist of the Year for the song "Wish U Were Here" in 2006. This singer/songwriter hailing from New Mexico is an authentic folk/blues/roots artist who takes you back to a time when music had feeling and depth. Armed with her guitar and a voice that evokes the sweet soulfulness of Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones and Alison Krauss, Loretta Chacon, A.K.A. Mobetta Loretta stirs and prods her listeners with lyrics kissed by life’s chapped lips. This is not background noise. This is a sound that tickles your ears, beguiling you like a mythical Siren to come a little closer until you look down and realize that you have been tied to the mast of fandom by her lyrics.
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