Gustavo Santaolalla joins IICA’s tribute to workers in the agrifood chain
San Jose, 30 April 2020, IICA. Accomplished singer and composer, Gustavo Santaolalla, a two-time Oscar winner for his movie soundtracks, has joined the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in applauding workers in the agrifood chain.
With his song, Vecinos, Santaolalla endorsed the campaign from Los Angeles, where he lives.
The initiative has brought together leading, popular music artistes, who have agreed to participate on a voluntary basis. All the songs will be packaged as a concert that will be aired in Argentina, as the first in a series of tributes to be replicated in Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
The songs contributed by the artistes will be broadcast in Argentina on TV Pública and Radio Nacional, starting Friday, 1 May.
They can also be accessed on IICA’s YouTube channel and on all its social media pages, as well as on the websites of the following entities:
Compartir.Cultura (Ministerio de Cultura de la Nación)
Cont.Ar (Secretaría de Medios y Comunicación Pública - Jefatura de Gabinete de Ministros)
Educ.ar S.E. (Ministerio de Educación de la Nación)
The campaign, which continues to attract increased support from renowned artistes throughout the Americas, was launched to recognize and pay tribute to those who ensure we have food on our tables in this era of Covid-19. The Argentinian artistes who have lent their talents to this IICA initiative are: León Gieco, Gustavo Santaolalla, Teresa Parodi, Soledad Villamil, Victor Heredia, Hilda Lizarazu, Lidia Borda, La Charo (Tonolec), Willy Piancioli (Los Tipitos), Agustín Ronconi (Arbolito), Alejandro Davio (Mundo Alas), Anabella Zoch, Peteco Carabajal, Dolores Solá and Acho Estol (La Chicana).
The tribute in each country will also feature invited artistes from a sister country. For example, Ana Prada and Pata Kramer from Uruguay will participate on this occasion.
Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA maintains that, “This is well-deserved and much needed recognition for those individuals who continue to work to put food on our tables. We have come together to applaud and thank them, through songs that are also a source of comfort in this time of fear and pain. In Argentina, the project has received the backing of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries; the Ministry of Culture of the Nation; The Ministry of Social Development; the anti-hunger program – Plan Argentina contra el Hambre; the Secretariat of Media and Public Communication; the public broadcast entity, Contenidos Públicos Sociedad del Estado and the arts foundation, Fondo Nacional de las Artes.
At an international cooperation level, the initiative has been endorsed by the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI). It has also gained approval from the folkloric arena, most notably, from organizers and performers of the Cosquiín Festival Nacional de Folklore.
The tribute by Gustavo Santaolalla can be seen here:
IICA will publish the contributions of artists participating in the campaign on all of its digital platforms as well as on those of partners that join the initiative. The following hashtags will be used on its social media sites:
#GRACIAS
#HEROESYHEROINAS
#PORLOSALIMENTOSENNUESTRAMESA
#OBRIGADO #OBRIGADA
#HERÓISEHEROÍNAS
#PORALIMENTOSEMNOSSASMESAS
#THANKS
#HEROESANDHEROINES
#FOORFOODONOURTABLES
More information:
Ignacio Hernaiz, Special Advisor for Institutional Relations for Mercosur, IICA
Sonia Novello, Information and Communication Specialist, IICA
Julieta Pizzarello, Coordinating Producer of the Tribute Concert