Eljuri Debuts “La Vida" First Single From Forthcoming Album “Asi Es El Mundo”
In these times of political turbulence and mounting intolerance and oppression, Eljuri – Cecilia Villar Eljuri – issues an urgent call for resistance and empowerment with “La Vida,” the first single from her forthcoming new album. A New Yorker, an immigrant Latina born in Ecuador to Spanish and Lebanese parents, a singer, composer, guitarist, and social activist – or "artivist," as she describes herself – her greatest passions are songwriting and activism, standing strong as a conduit for the voices of those she encounters while touring internationally with her NYC-based trio.
No stranger to political activism, Eljuri has long campaigned for and written about human rights and social justice, having helped launch the massive, historic Women’s Marches in New York City and performing her series of Eljuri Concerts for Democracy around the U.S. last year, enlisting new voter registration in tandem with Headcount and other national voting rights organizations. She has recently founded AVSA – Eljuri Amplifying Voices for Social Activism – and created an activism toolkit* providing guidance and key contacts with partner organizations for five “pillar” issues of top concern: women’s rights, climate change, human rights & social justice, gun control & public safety, and civic engagement.
“La Vida” – set for release through Six Degrees Music Distribution and Manovill Records – is the first single from Eljuri’s forthcoming new album, Asi es el Mundo (due out on August 22); the song implores listeners to break free from limitations and become a force of nature. “Life escapes us, life is fleeting,” she sings in Spanish. Live fully, act decisively, embracing strength and resisting adversity and authoritarianism: these are the themes of this funky, danceable, guitar-driven anthem to righteous empowerment and defiance.
Featuring blazing work by Eljuri and longtime bandmates, drummer Alex Alexander and bassist Winston Roye, with special guest Steve Sandberg on piano, the song’s instrumentation includes electric and acoustic guitar, tres, bass, drums, keyboards, and Latin percussion accents of congas and timbales. Overall, Eljuri’s original work fuses elements of Latin music, reggae, and global rhythms with a solid foundation in rock and funk, while her lyrics, written in both Spanish and English, powerfully address human rights and other critical global issues. She's been called a ‘rockstar humanitarian’ -- committed to empowering not only the Latin community but all champions for social justice, firmly believing that first-hand experience and clear-voiced representation truly do matter.
Eljuri will be touring as a power trio this summer in support of the new music, with festivals and other concert dates to be announced shortly.
Conceptualized and compiled by the Eljuri Amplifying Voices for Social Activism (AVSA) team, the Eljuri Activism Toolkit is now available online by link (https://bio.to/EljuriActivismToolkit) at Eljuri concerts, publicity, and social media outreach. Eljuri describes, “Our aim is to provide real actionable ways for people to take steps towards socially conscious work in their lives and communities. We all want to be a part of the positive change.”