Singer-songwriter Ani Cordero Brings Original Protest Songs to Ashland Coffee and Tea

ASHLAND, VA-- As waves of populism rise in countries around the world, reasons to protest continue to spike like a heart rate monitor.

Once a cause for activism is decided, the success of a protest depends on its supporters staying focused and motivated, consistently applying pressure until change is made. With this goal in mind, protest songs become a potent tool. Song lyrics are direct and easy to memorize, and people who sing together, safely able to identify their allies, feel collective strength. The ability of a song to clearly, sometimes even charmingly, capture a message for rallying against oppressors is an effective way to unify a crowd, on top of being free of charge.

The oldest protest song on record, "The Cutty Wren", dates back to the English peasants' revolt of 1381, and after the rise of many of today's political leaders, the protest song has found its contemporary footing.

Singer-songwriter Ani Cordero challenged herself to continue this tradition in her 2017 album of original protest songs, Querido Mundo. The album's 11 tracks are everything from love songs to feminism to war cries against corruption, and Querido Mundo has become the darling of NPR Music and The Brooklyn Vegan.

On March 4, Cordero and her band brought Querido Mundo to Ashland Coffee and Tea's listening room, The Mainline, located just outside of Richmond. Performing before an intimate audience of less than 40 people, she shared the stage with the opening Richmond-based act, Malhombre, lead by F.A. Blasco.

Cordero, the daughter of Puerto Rican musicians, was a touring drummer for the notable Brazilian psych-rock band Os Mutantes, and a member of Mexican rock band Pistolera before she began her solo career. In 2014, she released her album Recordar, a collection of cover songs from the politically charged Neuva Canción era of Latin American folk music, before releasing Querido Mundo this February.

The political and social messages of Cordero's evening at the Mainline had follow through. At the start of her set, Cordero invited audience members to join her activism e-mail list, and during her performance of "Corrupción," Cordero broke from the Spanish language of her songs when she said, "corruption exists everywhere, from Washington, D.C. to Puerto Rico." At the night's end, Cordero encouraged the audience to talk activism with her once she left the stage.

For Ashland Coffee and Tea, the performances of Cordero and Malhombre were thoughtful ones of many in their newly founded Global Sound Series. For Cordero and the audience, the night was an opportunity to turn ideas into actions, and continue to keep the intention of protest songs alive.

Images:

1. Ani Cordero

2. Malhombre at the Mainline, 3/2