1. 8 GIBRALTAR CHRONICLE Tuesday 5th April, 2011
IDENTITY AND DESIRE
A BOOK OF POEMS
BY GABRIEL MORENO
Local poet and musician Gabriel Moreno talks to Alice Mascarenhas
A new poetry book called ‘Identidad y Deseo’ now sits on the Gibraltar shelf in local bookshops
by Gibraltarian poet and songwriter Gabriel Moreno. This is a collection of poems in Spanish after four
years of poetic output telling the story of the writer’s journey through the complex avenues of poetical
expression and existential thought. The collection is made up of individual poetry books brought together
in this edition and published by Omicrón as part of a collection of modern writers.
Gabriel was born in Gibraltar the understanding that none
in the late seventies. He of these issues made any
graduated in Philosophy and sense to me without the right
Hispanic Studies at the music to carry them through.
University of Hull, Yorkshire, Emotions and music seem like
UK , and studied literature at the exact formula of lyric
the University of La Serena poetry although I have always
during exchange year. In 2003 preferred to think of myself as
he commenced a doctorate on a ‘grungian versifier,’ a bi-
Hispanic literature at the product of a short but intense
University of Barcelona musical movement of the 90s.
Gabriel’s published works This, however, is probably
include, Londres y El susurro another of my fictions in the
de las amapolas, Omicrón, ‘supreme fiction,’ of poetical
(2007), Voices from the blue, creation.
Omicrón, (2008), Cartas a Why, up till now, have you
Miranda, (2008), La barca preferred writing in
enterrada, (2009), and Los Spanish?
árboles plateados, (2009). He My fist intense encounter with
has also written the poetry was with the writing of
www.101gibraltar.com introduction to several poetry Chilean poets in 1997 in Latin
Showroom: DIY & Trade Centre: books including, Los America. Before that my
Unit 100 New Harbours Unit 10 New Harbours bebedores de estrellas, relationship with poetry had hang around young potential
Omicron (2008) Las Criaturas been more academic, and not writers that helped me
Telephone 200-41019 Tel: 200-48084
Celestes, by Israel Clará, very rewarding for that improve my compositions. I
collection Entre la rosa y la matter. The verses of had always been interested in
OPEN WEEK azucena (2010) and La trama
perfecta by Daniel Busquéts,
Huidobro, Neruda
Nicanor Parra, however,
and literature but I guess that it
was at this time when I finally
Monday 4th to Saturday 9th April 2011 (2010). together with the Chilean understood I could be part of
Teaching English at the landscape and inspiring its game of enchantment.
University of Trujillo, Peru lecturers at the University of What inspires you?
We've got something for everyone during our April Open
(2000), Cambridge School of La Serena, unfolded a new I suppose questions have been
Week: languages, Naples (2005) and dimension to the combination the most important incentives
• All new kitchen displays - come and have a walk round our the Institut de Idiomes, of words and music that for my verses during the last
showroom Barcelona (2006), he is would shape my future years: questions concerning
currently teaching at the Eden writings. I started to attempt identity, my life and those
• 15% off a wide range of Boen Hardwood Flooring House School college in configuring poetry ‘seriously’ who surrounded me. I do not
Half-price Oven, Hob and Hood Package on kitchens priced London. there and did so in Spanish. I know if I intended to answer
at £2,500 or more Reflecting about his own continued my Spanish-written those questions with the
issues as a Gibraltarian, an drafts in Peru and Barcelona poetry or simply express to
• New Product Launch at our DIY & Trade Centre - artist and a self-proclaimed and felt comfortable in the what extent we expand the
flat pack bedroom furniture, Kids bunk beds, son of the so-called Grunge language I had always used at frames of reality by asking
bathroom and shower suites, brassware and more!! generation, in this volume of home with my family. Funnily them.
work he tackles various enough, it was then I went Would you say your having
aspects of human existence back into studying English left Gibraltar has been an
Special Days During Our Open Week - Thursday 7th: such as romantic pursuit, literature in my own time and important factor in the
• Business to Business Day DIY & Trade Centre expectation, time and death tried to incorporate the evolution of your poetry?
Workwear, Safety Gear, DIY suppliers and more. amongst other topics. British mind-set and its music Travelling has been an
What kind of poet are you? into my Spanish written texts. essential source of inspiration
I suppose that defining oneself What was your interest in for my poems. I felt the need
Thursday - Saturday at the 101 Showroom - as a poet is nearly as difficult Hispanic studies and to expand my cultural,
Mid Harbours Development: as defining oneself as a human literature? psychological and
being. One often relies upon Living in Latin America for geographical horizons as a
• For three days we will be showcasing the Floor Plans and the vision of others to two years strongly instigated person and as a project of
3D Images of the new Mid Harbours Development. configure an identity. I had my interest in Hispanic creation since I was very
Come along and Register with us to receive an Information not really conceived myself as Literature. This driving force, young. I used to think that to
any particular type of poet. As and not knowing what else to write something worthwhile I
Pack based on your apartment type. time went by, however, and do with my days, made me had to move out. I do not
alerted by other brighter study Hispanic writers at a think in the same way now but
Saturday 9th April 10am-3pm - Finale to our Open Week: minds around me, I started to post-graduate level in the I admit that all my trips have
envisage the traits of lyric University of Barcelona. The contributed to widen my
• From 11am - 2 pm FREE Face Painting * 1 - 2.30pm Pirates
poetry in my verses and courses were challenging but perception of art and its
of the Caribbean guest visit * Easter Colouring Competition realised that I wrote about interesting as I experienced a intricacies. The cities I visited
* Goodie bags. more personal and trend towards comparative in Latin America were
introspective quarters where I literature in the teaching. specially stirring and intense.
felt I had a voice or a need to During this time I started to However, as Cavafy would
10% OFF AT OUR DIY AND TRADE CENTRE have a voice. I also came to attend poetry workshops and say, the real city is in us and

2. Tuesday 5th April, 2011 GIBRALTAR CHRONICLE 9
ourselves, a vision that
changes and blurs the more
we look into our personal
mirrors and lakes.
Desire expressed as need,
expectation, hope and energy
to head towards our
potentiality, into improved
versions of our minds and
souls conceived in our
dreams. Joanne Dyer’s,
choice of image, the Narcissus
by Cravaggio, for the cover of
the book, provided the final
visual validation for the title.
Where does the
Gibraltarian identity,
culture, etc. fit in the title of
the book?
Gibraltar is one of the most
interesting places in the world
to reflect about the idea of
identity. We live in between a
sea and an ocean, we exist in
the frontier of Europe and the
African continent, we function
daily in linguistic bi-polarism,
our origins stretch to all the
corners of the Mediterranean
and the British isles and we
have been privileged enough
to have the freedom to wish
and design our own vision of
ourselves. Gibraltarian
we carry it everywhere we said this, I try to keep them at individuality is fascinating and future for me. We live in a this sense I feel privileged to
go. So perhaps, and even for a safe distance from each complex and perhaps this world where poetry and have been able to publish and
writing, being born in other as it is often easy to fall inspired me to tackle other undefined music do not pay record. For the immediate
Gibraltar was actually more into the temptation of writing general issues concerning the bills unless you are either future I hope to finish my next
important than leaving it. intellectual poetical lyrics identity as a human being, a Rock-Star or a Poet book, “The Ungallant Night,”
Is your poetry an expression which are too dense and do lover, sketch of an artist, etc. Laureate. I do not believe I in English and publish with
of intimate personal not communicate with the How do you envisage your will become either of these some alternative London
experience or is it more music or, melodically pleasing future as poet and but I hope to continue publishing house. I also
orientated towards the poems which have no depth musician? writing, singing and creating intend to forget about
external world? and lack perception and Like Johnny Rotten for the rest of my existence changing the world as a poet
I think my expression is of a ingenuity. (incredibly poetical stage on earth. I would like to reach and a musician and try harder
more intimate nature. I have Do you draw on any well- name in my opinion) from the out to as many willing and for the world not to change
never attempted to tackle established poetic traditions Sex Pistols used to sing, sensitive readers and me.
history, politics, society or when finding inspiration for economically, there is no listeners as possible and in
more external issues although your poetry?
it is obvious that these topics I have tried to absorb the
interact closely with the inner voices of specific poets and
realm and are always present use them to nourish my own
in our interior evolutions. We verse but I have not
are shaped and moulded by consciously drawn on literary
the world and its people yet traditions. The poets I read
we all exist in an internal were mostly of Western origin
dimension where and pertaining to Italian,
consciousness and creation Hispanic, German, North
takes place. I am interested in American or British literature.
these unseen quarters and in My emotional and sensorial
the battles, journeys, appreciation was a result of
romances, solitudes and other their particular poems rather
tribulations that we than their overall style or
experience there. historical aesthetic trend. I do
Tell me about yourself as a confess, with some
musician? reservation but no shame, a
I have been playing in bands soft spot for English and
since I was 16. My first German romanticism and for
serious project was the the voices of modernism.
Arrival in Gibraltar where I What were you trying to
played the bass for two years. convey in your choice of title
After that I have been playing for your collection?
guitar, singing and writing I was quite clear about the
lyrics in different groups in choice of the title from the
UK, Spain, Italy and Peru. I first day the editor, Israel
am currently playing in an Clara, introduced the idea of a
acoustic duo with an Israeli collection of my poems. After
guitarist called Yair Levy. We all, questions concerning
are playing a set of my songs Identity and Desire,
called, “Songs of Love and ‘Identidad y Deseo,’ had been
Decadence.” the main driving forces
How does your poetry relate impelling me to write up to
to your music? that point and so it was
I would like to think that they appropriate to use these two
feed off each other but one is key words for the title of the
never sure. What I know is the collection. Identity
that I could not imagine the perceived as a perennial quest
one without the other. Having for the nature of the vision of