“Line In The Sand”: Hamilton Star Mandy Gonzalez Sings Anthem For Our Southern Border

Fear gives cover to profound failures of politicians to create just and sustainable immigration policies, fear builds walls, and fear can easily be manipulated into hate as bigotry and racism.  Fear is currently fueling the crisis and violence that is occurring at the border between Mexico and the United States.

With the album Fandango at the Wall, a collection of musicians confront fear with art and song to inspire us to find a better way. The work was inspired by Jorge Francisco Castillo, a retired librarian who has organized the Fandango Fronterizo Festival for the past decade.  The annual event gathers son jarocho musicians on both sides of the border wall between Tijuana and San Diego for a celebratory jam session. Fandango at the Border is the brainchild of O’Farrill and his longtime collaborator and Grammy Award-winning producer, Kabir Sehgal. The project brings together brilliant voices from a variety of cultural and musical traditions to tear down a variety of walls that isolate us – physical, musical, or cultural.

“Thinking about this awful, awful moment in history – not just American history but world history – I wanted to confront the darkness that has overcome all our lives,” O’Farrill says. “Faced with such stupidity and mediocrity, why not at least try to do something valuable? My first thought was to bring not just great artists but also people from marginalized nations. We understand that humanity and community are so much stronger than cultural constructs, physical walls, or geopolitical borders. We saw this in action: we saw our people fall in love with their people and become one people.”

One of the musicians that participated was Mandy Gonzalez who has starred in such Broadways hits as In the Heights, Wicked and Hamilton.  Ms. Gonzalez commented on her song,

There is such polarization in our society today with all types of divides surfacing.  “Line in the Sand” meant so much to me because it’s about bringing people together, keeping families together, and appreciating that regardless of what side you are on, we are all part of the Human side.”

Mandy Gonzalez’s video was launched 2 weeks ago by UNICEF on their YouTube and social media platforms.  Please enjoy.