To mark Latine Heritage Month (which continues through October 15), a new video has dropped from Jaime Lozano & The Familia’s recent album release, Songs By an Immigrant Vol. 3. Watch Florencia Cuenca (Real Women Have Curves) sing "Hoy Voy a Cantar," with music by Lozano and lyrics by Lozano and Cuenca, in the video above. The song is from Lozano and Cuenca's musical Desaparecidas, which features a book by Georgina Escobar.
The full release of Songs By an Immigrant Vol. 3 dropped August 22 via Concord Theatricals Recordings. Stream the full album here.
“This song in the musical is sung by a character inspired by Mexican American singer and regional Mexican music superstar Jenni Rivera, who was also an activist against domestic violence and other civic causes,” says Lozano in a statement. “‘Hoy Voy a Cantar’ (‘Today, I’m Gonna Sing’) is a song about empowerment—about raising your voice and owning and celebrating who you are.”
With music by musical theatre composer and Jonathan Larson Grant recipient Lozano, the new album features award-winning Latin artists and Broadway stars, including Grammy-winning music producer Trooko; multi-Grammy winner and National Medal of Arts artist-saxophonist Paquito D’ Rivera; Latin Grammy winner Jair Alcalá and his band El Plan; Tony, Grammy, Emmy, and Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt (Next to Normal); Max Mendoza Crumm; Tony nominee Lorna Courtney (& Juliet, Heathers); Cuenca (Real Women Have Curves); Aline Mayagoitia (Real Women Have Curves); Krystina Alabado (Mystic Pizza); Didi Romero (SIX); Linedy Genao (Bad Cinderella); and more.
The album portrays the first- and second-generation middle class U.S. experience and details the challenges of being an immigrant: finding a new home, learning a new language, dealing with discrimination, pursuing the American Dream, and searching for ways to build bridges instead of walls.
Songs By an Immigrant Vol. 3 features arrangements and orchestrations by Lozano and Jesús Altamira and lyrics by Lozano, Castilla, Reynolds Robledo, Nathan Tysen, David Davila, Neena Beber, Marina Pires, Tommy Newman, and Cuenca. The album is produced by Lozano and Demián Cantú, co-produced by Victoria Kühne and Sean Patrick Flahaven, and executive-produced by Jaime Lozano & The Familia. It was recorded, edited, and mixed by Cantú, and mastered by Oscar Zambrano.