This Saturday Grammy award-winning Latina musician Carla Morrison played a free show at the Prospect Park Bandshell. She followed Hurray for the Riff Raff and Buscabulla as part of the Bud Light Music series, which was presented in association with the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC). The Conference puts on an annual showcase, this year’s iteration meant to showcase both emerging and established artists. Morrison’s presence definitely represented the latter.
     Apart from winning the hearts of a vast and dedicated fanbase, the pop artist has also won two Latin Grammys. In 2012, she took home both the award for Best Alternative Song for “Déjenme Llorar” and the Best Alternative Music Album award for Déjenme Llorar. She was also nominated for the Song of the Year award for “Déjenme Llorar”. The record has since gone on to be certified Gold in Morrison’s native Mexico. This bout of success began the previous year with Morrison’s nomination for the “Best Alternative Music Album” for Mientras Tu Dormías at the 2011 Latin Grammys and has continued to the present.
     Originally from Tecate in the Mexican state of Baja California, Morrison began expressing an interest in music early. She moved to Arizona in her late teens to study music at Mesa Community College. Soon thereafter, she dropped out to pursue a more self-taught and personal musical education. She studied with David Barrios, eventually working with fellow artists Nick Kizer and Nichole Petta to form Babaluca. The bilingual Phoenix-based band wrote, but never released a record in collaboration with Mark Erickson of Colorstone. Working with Erickson led Morrison to cover Ramón Ayala’s “Tragos de Amargo Licor” for a local music festival. She would later include the track in her debut album Aprendiendo A Aprender, which was released in 2009. Erickson also connected Morrison at this time with Arizona’s Lonna Kelley. Morrison featured as a guest vocalist on Kelley’s record Go Away Closer, which was released around the same time as Aprendiendo A Aprender.
     All these collaborations led to Morrison building a strong foundation of experience as a musician, both in the studio and on the stage. By the time she reached the bandshell this weekend, she had a horde of adoring fans awaiting one of her rare East coast appearances. The day may have been overcast and dotted with rainstorms, but little deterred the crowd. Despite the stage being tucked in a sort of hard-to-locate-unless-you-know-where-you’re-going spot in the west of the park, all the seats were filled and the air was abuzz with anticipation. Any latecomers could follow the hum all the way from 7th Ave F/G stop, along Prospect Park West, through the Harmony Playground to the mass of scaffolding and banners that is the bandshell. Surrounded by various barriers and accompanied by a half dozen or so tents brimming with BRIC and other sponsor gear and giveaways.
     For the show itself, Morrison playing a lengthy set, mostly comprised of songs from her latest album Amor Supremo. She kicked off the concert with “Un Beso”, the first single of the new record. From there, Morrison worked her way through the bulk of the album. This included “Azucar Morena”, “Flor Que Nunca Fui”, “Yo Vivo Para Ti”, “No Vuelvo Jamás”, “Devuélvete”, “Tú Atacas” and “Mil Años”. From her Grammy award winning album Déjenme Llorar, she sang “Eres Tú”. She also performed the title track from the album as well as “Hasta La Piel” and “Distruto”. Of course she also included old favorites for those diehard fans who had been there from the beginning. This included “Pajarito del Amor” from Mientras Tú Dormías, which Morrison released in 2010. It was another tune she played guitar for.
     For a set that so favored on release over the others, the show still felt like it showed the breadth of Morrison’s abilities. From the way that she danced around the stage with energy and ease to the gratitude with which she address the audience, Morrison presented herself both as a seasoned artist, but also as someone who is still humble and learning. She spoke in both English and Spanish, elaborating as if to a friend about the little birds and love that inspired her music. Before playing the title track “Todo Pasa”, Morrison expanded on a period in her life wrought with anxiety and how she used that experience to write the song. She also brought out an acoustic guitar and strummed along to several songs including crowd-favorite “Compartir”, proving that she could do more than sway at the mic dramatically.
     Her efforts made the towering stage seem suddenly like a very intimate setting. The whole show felt like a labor of love. For those unfamiliar of with Morrison’s work or her previous successes, the evening was just as accessible. A minority of those gathered looked like they had wandered in from elsewhere in the park or stopped by to enjoy a free show. It was the kind of concert that you pass, consider, and then actually stay for. The audience was thick with screaming fans for it’s entire duration. They held Mexican flags and posters aloft in a show of support. The newcomers joined in the festivities and were welcomed warmly. This best example of this coming together was during the last song of the night “No Vuelvo Jamas”. Morrison worked a simple sing along into the latter half of the song, a common gesture, but the resulting cadence of voices was a perfect way to end the night.

By Zoe Marquedant