Brazilian star Gilberto Gil joins IICA’s tribute to food chain workers with a love song to the Americas

Gil — The celebrated Brazilian artist joined IICA’s campaign, which seeks to channel greater political and social attention to those who guarantee our food supply during the Covid-19 pandemic.

San Jose, 28 April 2020 (IICA). Singer-songwriter and musician Gilberto Gil, one of the biggest names in Brazilian popular music, joined the campaign of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to recognize and thank farmers and workers in the agrifood chain, who, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, guarantee food production, transportation, commercialization and supply in countries throughout the Americas.

In Brazil, the campaign has the support and adherence of Unesco Brazil and the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (ABRAS).

One of the founders of the Tropicalismo movement that revitalized Brazilian music, Gil has won multiple Grammy awards and previously served as Minister of Culture in his country. He contributed to IICA’s campaign by recording his hit song “Soy Loco por Ti América” (“I’m Crazy About You, America”), which he wrote together with José Carlos Capinan.

IICA’s initiative brings together the work of renowned artists from various countries throughout the hemisphere, who have selflessly contributed to the POPULAR MUSIC TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO WORK DAY TO DAY TO PUT FOOD ON OUR TABLES.

The campaign represents an unprecedented hemispheric effort to prioritize farming through art and culture. It also contributes to further disseminating the results achieved through technical cooperation of excellence, which, given the current circumstances, is more necessary than ever.

“Within the context of the current pandemic, great artists are joining IICA, and IICA is joining great artists in paying a well-deserved and necessary tribute to the people who continue working to put food on our tables. This is a mass round of applause, an expression of gratitude, through songs that also comfort our souls at a time when we are experiencing great fear and pain,” explained the Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero.

The initiative seeks to contribute to channeling greater political and social attention to those who keep the agro-industrial chain running, as well as farmers who guarantee our food supply at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is challenging the world.

The campaign is also tied to one of IICA’s permanent objectives: to foster the prioritization of agriculture as well as greater recognition of the importance of rural areas, whose development and well-being play a key role in resolving or mitigating some of the greatest issues facing the contemporary world, such as the uncontrolled growth of cities, migration away from rural areas, the negative impacts of climate change, as well as the challenge of guaranteeing food and nutritional security for the entire population.

Numerous artists have already contributed their music to the campaign, including León Gieco, Teresa Parodi, Soledad Villamil, Víctor Heredia, Hilda Lizarazu, Lidia Borda, La Charo (Tonolec), Willy Piancioli (Los Tipitos), Agustín Ronconi (Arbolito), Alejandro Davio (Mundo Alas), Anabella Zoch, Peteco Carabajal, Dolores Solá and Acho Estol (La Chicana). Their contributions will be published in the upcoming days.

Gilberto Gil’s contribution can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTSFtkj3u3c&t=65s

IICA will continue to publish the contributions from the artists participating in the campaign on all its digital platforms and those of its partners who are joining the initiative; the hashtags on social media are as follows:

#GRACIAS

#HEROESYHEROINAS

#PORLOSALIMENTOSENNUESTRAMESA

#OBRIGADO #OBRIGADA

#HERÓISEHEROÍNAS

#PORALIMENTOSEMNOSSASMESAS

#THANKS

#HEROESANDHEROINES

#FORFOODONOURTABLES

Gilberto Gil’s contribution: