For The Journal
The Mancos Valley Distillery presents guitarist and singer MamaLaya, who plays original music and a variety of cover songs, on Saturday, May 7.
Doors open at 5 p.m., and the music starts at 8 p.m. Cover charge is $3.
MamaLaya has been performing for more than 30 years. She’s a self-taught guitarist, with an atypical strumming and rhythm style. MamaLaya plays all of her music in the 432 Hertz tuning - in tune with the Earth and the rotation of heavenly bodies. As she books shows, she often plays music on downtown streets or parks, to make money and promote the shows. She is often compared to Jewel, Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan. Her influences are Tori Amos, Tracy Chapman, Leonard Cohen and Ani DiFranco, among many others. She is often accompanied by Local Rhythm Players, as she is currently developing a more full band sound.
MamaLaya (Leah Spencer) was influenced early in life by church music in the South and has been learning from other musicians, drum circles and collaborative efforts. In 2010, she decided to play guitar, and in 2013 embarked on the Florida folk music scene, honing her stage presence as an opener for concerts.
In 2014 she went on an open mic tour to meet and play with musicians throughout North Carolina and later that year recorded her a demo CD, “Girl & Guitar.” In 2015, she toured Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado and recently spent played shows at art walks, farmers markets, wine bistros and on streets in Central and Southern California.
