Aloe Blacc 'Wake Me Up' Video Touches the Heart of the Immigration Debate in the U.S.
While Democrats and Republicans battle it out on Capitol Hill and try to come up with a comprehensive solution on immigration reform, singer Aloe Blacc is using his voice and his powerful video to get his message across on the controversial issue - and it is sure to tug at your heartstrings.
The soulful singer, who was born in Southern California to Panamanian parents, released a new music video featuring a touching acoustic version of the song, "Wake Me Up," which highlights the story of a day laborer's family struggling to reunite across borders.
The video follows the family and its failed attempt to cross the border and their baby being confiscated by a police officer. The child grows up to be a Dream Activist (a social media website dedicated to immigration reform) who comes face to face with the officer who took her.
Real-life Dreamer and UWD (United We Dream) leader, Hareth Andrade, was featured in Blacc's music video. United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation, a powerful nonpartisan network made up of 52 affiliate organizations in 25 states. UWD organizes and advocates for the dignity and fair treatment of immigrant youth and families, regardless of immigration status.
Directed by filmmaker Alex Rivera in partnership with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, the music video is based on the true stories of families who come to the U.S. in pursuit of the American dream and are torn apart by a broken immigration policy.
Blacc's "Wake Me Up" music video resonates with many people in the Latino community.
"I can honestly say that this video hit home, I shed a tear, or ten because I know thousands have lost their lives trying to cross to the border... My mother, sister, and myself are refugees from the 70s, 80s Civil War in El Salvador, we are survivors of the Óscar Arnulfo Romero massacre...The church was being persecuted at the time and many were being killed or assassinated. I am now part of the browning of America movement... I am proud of my new passion, as an (IYC) Immigrant Youth Coalition Activist, extremist, fighting for our human rights, family unity, and due process for all!" said one viewer, Hugo Gonzalez.
Blacc lends his vocals to the original Avicii's EDM (Electronic Dance Music) version of "Wake Me Up," which is a huge international hit. The original video features a pair of outcast sisters living in a rural town who ultimately relocate to New York City where they find like-minded companions at a concert.
Before he was making political statements with his beautiful voice, Blacc wasn't involved in the mainstream music circuit. In 1996, he released his first hip-hop mixtape and was associated with the indie hip-hop scene for many years thanks to his rap duo Emanon (alongside DJ Exile) before going solo.
In 2006, he signed to Stones Throw Records and released his genre-bending, debut solo album, "Shine Through," followed by 2010's, "Good Things," concocting a vintage yet current sound. "Good Things," which has been certified gold in France, Germany, and the U.K., included the single "I Need A Dollar," which went on to sell over two million copies worldwide. In 2012, Blacc was nominated for two BRIT Awards (Best International Male Solo Artist and Best International Breakthrough Act). Currently his song "Wake Me Up" is Number 1 on the charts in more than 63 countries.
Check out the video, and grab a tissue -- if you are human, it will move you.