Latinx Band Las Cafeteras Does Spanglish Cover of ‘Georgia on my Mind’ in Support of Black and Brown Unity, Voter Participation in Georgia U.S. Senate Runoffs

POP CULTURE MEETS SOCIAL CHANGE IN THIS NEW RENDITION OF A CLASSIC GEORGIA SONG

December 18, 2020 Blending cultures and genres, the performance of ‘Georgia on My Mind’ by LA band Las Cafeteras is a joyous way to unite people and get voters dancing all the way to the polls in Georgia.

Early voting in the US Senate Runoff elections in Georgia started December 14, and the band hopes this song will be an electoral anthem for Solidarity among Black and Brown communities.

Joining in support of this song is New Georgia Project and Poder Latinx, both of whom are focusing attention on young voters of color in the state.

The song itself is another collaborative mash-up of genres, featuring artist QVLN and Sergio Mendoza utilizing Afro-Colombia rhythms of Cumbia, Electronica, and elements of Trap music, which was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Aside from the classic chorus in English, there are new lyrics which speak to a sense of determination and empowerment to its listeners via Spanish language rap.

The song speaks to the changing demographics in Georgia.  Over the last 10 years, the South has been home to the fastest growing Latinx population in the country, which includes Georgia.  The new cumbia rendition of “Georgia on My Mind” speaks to the nostalgia of Latin America to new immigrants, but also calls to the the 1st and 2nd generation Latinx youth who call Georgia home and grew up with Hip-Hop in the home state of Trap culture.

The song and a music video amplifying it will be released on Thursday, December 17, two weeks before December 31, the last day for people to ‘Vote Early.’ There will also be :15 and :30 versions of the music video available for social media use. The premise of the music video is a cross country/cross culture trip by the band headed for Georgia to join the movement for social justice and civic participation of people creating a New Georgia.

“There’s so much at stake, we wanted to demonstrate solidarity to our brothers and sisters in Georgia” said Hector Flores, of Las Cafeteras.

“We are delighted to support this beautiful song and the truth that it tells.  We know that young people of culture can impact the outcome of this runoff election, so original and creative approaches like this will reach a wide range of voters.Georgia’s voters are a diverse blend of ethnicities and cultures. Any effort to reach them should reflect this,” said Nse Ufot, CEO of New Georgia Project.

“We are excited to partner again with Las Cafeteras, Black and Brown people in Georgia have the power to determine our nation’s future by ensuring we have a Senate that moves forward the issues that matter to us,” said Yadira Sanchez, co-executive director of Poder Latinx.

Born and raised east of the Los Angeles river, Las Cafeteras are remixing roots music and telling modern day stories.Their Afro-Mexican beats, rhythms, and rhymes deliver inspiring lyrics that document stories of Immigrant and BIPOC communities.

The effort was organized by Big Bowl of Ideas, a black-owned creative agency that works in culture for social change. “We knew this would be a hot idea. The band, the organizations involved, it’s a great fusion of common values and culture,” said their Principal, Wyatt Closs.

Early polling for the Jan. 5 runoff suggests the election results could be extremely close and the final result will depend on how many people turn out to vote. Young people who, in the past have not regularly participated in runoff elections, could make a difference in a tight race.

About New Georgia Project

The New Georgia Project is a nonpartisan effort to register and civically engaged Georgians. To date, the NGP has registered nearly 500,000 people from underrepresented communities to vote in Georgia. In addition to registering voters, NGP also advocates for civil and human rights causes and works to advance justice on behalf of historically marginalized communities. www.newgeorgiaproject.org.

About Poder Latinx

Poder Latinx’s mission is to build a political wave of voters where the Latinx community, immigrants, and people of color play a key role in the transformation of the country and become decision-makers in our democracy. Through innovative partnerships, issue-based organizing, and leadership development, Poder Latinx is rapidly expanding the U.S electorate with new and low propensity Latinx voters. In its first six months, Poder Latinx registered 30,000 voters, building a foundation poised to create change starting with the 2020 Presidential elections and beyond.

Media Contacts

New Georgia Project: Nicole Henderson | (404) 939-1594 | [email protected]

Poder Latinx: Fernanda Durand | (214) 402-0186 | [email protected]
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