The Eljuri Concerts for Democracy will create new music for a concert series empowering diverse communities to use the democratic process to amplify their voices towards positive social change.
Americans for the Arts studies indicate that engagement with the arts heightens awareness of rights, with art-goers showing a 20% higher likelihood of voting compared to non-attendees. Additionally, art activities boost community members' interest in local issues and projects by 86%.
We believe you have the right to express yourself at your kitchen table, a church coffee hour, a school parents’ night, a community board meeting. And you have the right to vote in your local, state, and national elections. Communities are built on the perspectives of individuals, and your individual voice is your power.
Unfortunately, our democracy faces widespread challenges globally. Marginalized groups are losing rights, political platforms propagate falsehoods, and media outlets frequently misrepresent key policies. Open debate is stifled, and registration and voting processes are often inaccessible or confusing.
Eljuri, a New Yorker, immigrant, Latina, woman, singer, and guitarist, is deeply passionate about songwriting and activism. She considers herself a conduit to the voices of those she encounters when she travels and tours domestically and internationally with her NYC based power trio. Her music, a fusion of Latin, reggae and global rhythms with rock and funk features socially conscious lyrics in English and Spanish, addressing current issues. In her world, music and activism are positively intertwined. She’s been called a ‘Rockstar Humanitarian’ whose songs are about resilience, giving shelter to refugees/immigrants/asylum seekers, gender equality, blurring border lines, building bridges, gun control and saving the planet. She seeks to empower not only the Latino community, but all champions for human rights and democracy. Representation matters.
We are committed to making a difference. Eljuri is fully engaged in composing new, bilingual songs dedicated to saving democracy for her highly anticipated sixth studio album. These new songs will premiere live at the 2025/26 Eljuri Concerts for Democracy series, fostering a supportive space for individuals to unite and advocate for change. We will facilitate voter registration to empower eligible individuals to confidently exercise their democratic right.
The Eljuri Concerts for Democracy encourage participation by diverse multi-generational attendees. Live performances of Eljuri’s bilingual songs connects people who are new to this country, underrepresented, feel marginalized and those whose voices have traditionally been silenced due to racism, sexism, ageism, classism by our broken democratic processes. Partnered with the Amplify Your Voice workshop, Eljuri collaborates with voting rights organizations to empower participants in comprehending the democratic process, policies, and taking actionable steps towards engagement for effecting positive change.
As a proof of concept, our core volunteer team is developing the Eljuri Concerts for Democracy, building a network of like-minded organizations, and partnering with venues/festivals where Eljuri will present songs from her current song catalog to test the overall concert/workshop series idea in key cities before the 2024 national election.
Help support our efforts at: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/eljuri-concerts-for-democracy-amplifying-voices-for-social-change-conciertos-por-la-democracia-amplificando-las-voces-para-el-cambio-social