I am pleased to announce that this Saturday, June 4th, I will be performing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Disney Concert Hall. The night is celebrating the wealth of South American protest songs from a dark period of our side of this continent. The concert “Canto En Resistencia”, will be conducted by @gustavodudamel , and it will feature original music by composers Angélica Negrón @little_miss_echo and Victor Agudelo, as well as additional guests, each singing iconic protest songs from our countries of origin. They are my dearest hermano @devendrabanhart , @cabralu , @silvanaestradab , and @monlaferte . I think it’s important to say that these songs were written by brave man and women who put themselves at serious risk by attempting to record and play them publicly, facing censorship at best, imprisonment, torture and death at worst. They were written in the period of the Cold War when the US government was making sure no legitimate democracy south of the border existed if it had the slightest socialist inclination. This was accomplished by backing military coups, installing brutal dictatorships, replacing left-wing leaders with ultra-right ones, and “disappearing” leaders when all else failed. This brutal period determined these countries’ political fate, and the economic collapses that followed with everlasting, devastating consequences to its peoples. Historical context magnifies the beauty of this music, and by knowing what these songs were resisting, we are more equipped to respond to history repeating itself. I hope to see you there. @laphil