Written by Paige Menneci, NY Resident and Music to Life Communications Manager & Programs Associate
After enduring another day of discouraging headlines delivered at lightspeed to a device in my pocket, I was feeling more than a little worn down when I walked down the staircase into DROM, an intimate concert venue in Manhattan’s East Village. I was there to see the “Eljuri Concerts for Democracy,” and it marked the first time I was seeing one of our Juried Artists in-person. Working virtually, I often learn about the impact of our Juried Artists through Zoom calls and pictures and video, but rarely get to actually experience it live - so needless to say - I was unsure of what to expect.
I was immediately greeted by smiling faces welcoming me in, asking me if I was registered to vote, and if I had any questions about the process. I happily accepted a colorful “VOTE” pin for my backpack and a new favorite sticker depicting windmills that reads “Renewable Energy: We’re Big Fans” (courtesy of New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund).
When Eljuri’s performance started, the energy was electric. Her fusion of Rock, Reggae and Latin rhythms had everyone on their feet. I requested my absentee ballot right there at the concert in between clapping and singing along to songs about shelter for immigrants, an end to gun violence, and most importantly, the unified voice of compassion.
Often called a ‘Rockstar Humanitarian,’ Eljuri participated in our Spring 2024 Musician Changemaker Accelerator (MCA) Academy, a 6.5-month online incubator that gives musicians the resources and skills to make a living while making change. Before a chance encounter with Music to Life at the Folk Alliance International Conference in 2023, Eljuri was planning a workshop that teaches people to find and use their voice through music. During her time in the Academy, as she dug into the concept planning for her project, the election was getting closer and closer. She realized she could expand her impact if she not only taught people how to use their voice in their communities and daily lives, but also in our democracy, specifically in the upcoming presidential election.
She also realized through her research that even as the number of eligible Latino voters increases, their voter turnout rates remain consistently lower than other racial and ethnic groups in America. According to the University of Florida's Election Lab, in the 2020 presidential election, only 52.5% of eligible Latino voters actually voted, as opposed to 65.6% of eligible Black voters, and 72.6% of eligible White voters.
This gap is what fuels Eljuri. As we chatted after the show, she told me that the “Eljuri Concerts for Democracy” initiative is all about representation. As an immigrant and a Latina, if she can get up on stage and say that she’s voting in this year’s election, then other Latinos and immigrants in the audience will see that their voices matter too. In that way, her individual act of creating representation allows her audiences to claim their rightful systemic representation in our government.
Each of Eljuri’s concerts across the country provides voting resources in both English and Spanish; the same way her music is performed. She’s partnering with HeadCount (among other organizations at each event), a national initiative focused on registering people to vote at live music events. Based on the idea that a room full of concertgoers can change an election, HeadCount, much like Eljuri, is focused on meeting eligible voters where they’re at.
As I stood there, surrounded by people singing and dancing to Eljuri’s socially-conscious music and all of whom were now registered to vote, I realized I was witnessing the birth of a movement, sparked by a single artist and the action their team inspired in their community. I was reminded of the importance of my work at Music to Life because artists like Eljuri are in every community - they just need the tools and resources to make these movements happen. Eljuri’s manager Alex told me after the show; “We always thought artists had to be for-profit. Now we understand there are multiple paths to fiscal sponsorship and funding for these kinds of projects. Eljuri learned all of that through the MCA Academy.”
And how grateful am I that Eljuri learned the skills to make this initiative happen. I left lighter and charged, ready to use MY voice, and confident that this room of concert goers WOULD change the election - and beyond that, the world.
Are you ready to vote? Do you have a voting plan?
Go to: HeadCount.org/takeaction to find out:
1- What's on your ballot
2- Where your polling place is
3- If there are any ID requirements you should be aware of AND info about voting by mail and early voting
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Facebook: @EljuriMusic