For Miami-born and raised Gabriela Guerrero, known professionally as Gaby G, music is about connecting with her emotions. Quite literally, it’s about vibing. “We’re just sound; it’s a part of being human,” she says. “We are frequency beings, and music is, on a frequency basis, what resonates with me in a literal sense.”
Guerrero’s music is about emotional melodies and dance-ready beats, a formula that has resulted in some amazing music so far, including tracks like “Suave,” “Distant,” and “Understatement.” These and the rest of her songs deal with common occurrences that people feel, like love, heartbreak, and intimacy, and her writing is inspired by what happens directly to her or the people around her. In the process, she has become an exciting new voice in the contemporary music scene.
Guerrero’s music and soulful self are influenced by her upbringing as a Latina from Miami, making her artistry all her own. In partnership with Zephyrhills® Florida Spring Water, we highlight her story for Our Heritage Month as an artist bringing Latin music to new audiences.
Music runs in Guerrero’s family; she learned guitar and trumpet in her youth, playing in bands and at school. However, the spark for her calling came through her cousin, who asked Guerrero to back her up on guitar for some songs she would upload on YouTube.
In college, she started producing R&B-influenced beats on her computer while learning audio engineering, soon trying on vocals on these instrumentals and uploading them on SoundCloud. A friend soon heard her and asked Guerrero to sing over some of his instrumentals, resulting in her first EP. ”We didn’t even try it; it just happened,” she says about what became her first release, 2016’s Polarized. “But it took me a long time to find my voice. I’m a late bloomer.”
Guerrero found her sound by navigating a sweet spot where the sultry melodicism of R&B converges with the beats of house music. “I love the energy that it gives because it’s sexy, but it’s also party [music] [coming together in] this harmonious union of my two favorite genres.” Of course, she doesn’t limit her palette to just two genres. Guerrero likens herself to a Pokemon, constantly evolving. She talks about playing country music and driving around listening to Metallica. Still, R&B has been her most long-standing musical companion, even going back to getting emotionally enraptured by bands like Boyz II Men before she could understand their lyrics.
Although she’s proficient in many different instruments and producing, her voice allows her to do more. “Singing is the most expressive thing to express music, for me at least. [When] I found out that I’m not bad at singing, I was like, ‘This is amazing.’ I’ve always played guitar, which was even better because I can do this whenever I want, all the time.”
Guerrero started gaining momentum as the gears were in motion, thinking her big break was coming. But during the pandemic, she considered quitting music before realizing, “If you stop now, you did everything for no reason,” she remembers thinking. “[I learned that] it’s all about positive self-talk, pushing through, and making it.“ Once her mind was set, she accepted that music careers can have peaks and valleys, and Guerrero is in for the long haul.
For Guerrero, one of her biggest inspirations, not only in art but in her life, is her surroundings in Miami. Being a Latina from South Florida has allowed her to establish her style. “As I get older, I realize more and more [that] it is a part of my identity, and I’ve always been proud of it,” Guerrero says. “I love Miami culture. I’ve been to many parts and places of the world, and Miami is unique and beautiful. It’s even near the Caribbean! We have this melting pot of Latino cultures; it’s just all kinds of different Spanish-speaking cultures that are coming together, and it just brings a different energy.“ She even namechecks some of the genres most closely associated with Miami as influences in her music, including hip-hop, Latin house, and Miami bass.
She praises Latine people for being very open, expressive, and loving, which she finds reflected in her identity. Our Heritage Month is about that kind of reflection, the significance of Latine culture and upbringing to each individual in many fields. In Guerrero’s case, Latine music, as heard everywhere in Miami, and her Cuban roots inform her identity. “I think being Latina is 100% a part of who I am, and it is extremely influential in my music,” Guerrero shares. “If it wasn’t for being born and raised near the ocean, that gave me a new sense of life.”
Right now, Guerrero is focused on becoming a known entertainer. She confesses that she always wanted to be a “Disney kid” and now finds it stimulating to create videos for social media and a TV appearance that left her wanting to be involved in that world. She’s also working on perfecting a unique live experience that she will hopefully take on tour. She has faith in a listener’s intimate connection with her music. “That’s all I need; just have one person tell me they listen to my songs on the radio. That’s the best gift someone could get me. [I want to be] just a part of people’s lives and spread that energy. I’ve had people come and tell me they played my song last night with their girlfriend, and I’m like, ‘Wow, I’m in the bedroom with you too’ [laughs]. I love spreading that joy.”
