Tampa Bay Music Video Urges Residents To 'Voice Your Vote'

TAMPA BAY, FL — A music video made in Tampa Bay is inspiring people around the country to vote in the general election Nov. 3

Voice Your Vote 2020 is the creative product of Tampa Bay-based volunteer singers, songwriters, music and video producers, media, marketing and web designers ages 16 to 77 years old.

Public relations professional Michelle Passoff of St. Petersburg spearheaded the project. Passoff is the co-owner of Free From Clutter Estate Sales in St. Pete, author of "Lighten Up! Free Yourself From Clutter” (HarperPerennial) as well as an artist and photographer.

She worked as a public relations and media executive in New York City for many years.

She pulled together the creative team in March just after the coronavirus pandemic was declared. The team members, most of whom has never met, collaborated on the original music and video via Zoom.

Among those Passoff recruited was Tampa music producer, rapper, hip hop and reggae artist Nawlage. The head of production at Grand Bay Recording Studios in Tampa, Nawlage is widely known for his "Husband or Wife" remix lyrics. Assisting him was co-writer and assistant music director SH3, a singer, songwriter, producer and audio engineer.

Lending their voices to the effort were local singers/songwriters Tanya LaReese, Javi D'Rosa, Flavia Rueda, Ashley Smith, Trinity Danielle Sanchez and Jeff Blake.

Rounding out the creative crew were video producers Clint Mourino and Ryan Justice, musician Joe Porter and composer Patti Ecker.

Their intention was to send a message from Tampa Bay, located in one of the country's pivotal election states, about the importance of voting in the general election.

The toe-tapping dance hall beat with a bit of rap is sung in Spanish and English. The music video is also available for the American Sign Language community on YouTube, featuring deaf signer Coral M. Furtado.