“There's power in using music to humanize conversations,” Becky G tells Rolling Stone
Carlos Santana and Becky G want the world to understand the harsh realities of ICE raids with new song “Mi Gran Amor.”
“I think there's power in using music to humanize conversations that people too often reduce to politics. Behind every headline are real families and real sacrifices,” Becky G tells Rolling Stone. “I hope this song can make even one person feel seen and inspire more compassion.”
On the rock-inspired track, the Mexican American musicians' paint the horror stories that hard-working immigrants in the US face under the recent immigration crackdowns. “Migra, mi gran amor se fue por culpa de la migra,” Becky G sings, referring to the Spanish term for immigration officers, as Santana plays masterful riffs.
Recently, Becky G emphasized the importance of immigrant workers for Rolling Stone's American Icons package. “My other grandfather was the man in the back washing dishes and flipping burgers. And my grandmothers were the women working in the factories. For me, it's so close to home. It's a part of me,” Becky says in her tribute, adding, “There's a lot of things that divide us today as a country and always have unfortunately. But when we remember that we are a part of something so much bigger it unifies us.”
“Mi Gran Amor” was written and produced by Grammy-winning producer Edgar Barrera, who is also Mexican American. According to Billboard Españolthe producer wrote the song after a friend was detained by ICE and plans to donate his royalties from the song to families that are impacted by ICE detentions in the South. “Right now the world needs more songs with purpose… this is the reason why we wrote this song… to help those people who don't have the voice,” Barrera told the outlet.
