Ry Cooder's "Quicksand," Response to Arizona Immigration Law, Now Available on iTunes; Proceeds Donated to MALDEF
![Ry Cooder: "Quicksand" [cover]](http://www.nonesuch.com/files/imagecache/section-artists-image/media/images/cooder-quicksand-single.jpg "Ry Cooder: \"Quicksand\" [cover]")
"Quicksand," the new single written and performed by Ry Cooder in response to Arizona law SB 1070 and the ongoing immigration battle in the US, is available starting today, exclusively at iTunes. As described by Cooder, "Quicksand" is a slow-burning rocker that tells the story of six would-be immigrants making their way from Mexico to the Arizona border. He has pledged to donate all proceeds from the song to MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF President and General Counsel, thanked Cooder for his gracious donation and said: "Defeating Arizona's SB 1070—and the potential copycat laws that have since been announced by unscrupulous legislators around the nation—will require a broad national community effort to reinforce the constitutional principles and values that characterize our nation. Our heartfelt thanks to Ry Cooder for being a leader in that necessary community effort."
"Quicksand" features Cooder on vocals, guitar, and bass; his son Joachim on drums; along with backup vocals by Lucina Rodgriguez and Fabiola Trujillo of Mexican roots band Los Cenzontles. The artwork for the single features the piece Nuthin' to See Here, Keep on Movin'! by frequent Cooder collaborator Vincent Valdez.
To purchase the track now from iTunes, click here. For more information, visit nonesuch.com/albums/quicksand.
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Nobody I know knows about this. They should. Spread the word...
Well don! Thank you to Ry, Joachim, Linda and Vincent for your beautiful work. I bought it and will encourage others to do the same.
All the Best!
Joe's right - a best kept secret! I only found it (I'm in the UK) because I'm a Ry nut & looked on the Nonesuch site for news. It's almost impossible to find it on iTunes. Pleased to say the man is in great voice (a relief to know) and the guitar is almost early Stones. That may not sound like a compliment to some, but if you think young, vigorous and rocking....... And I know he supposedly nearly joined the band way back and gave them the Honky Tonk riff.
Is this a sign of more to come? Great! And PLEASE, PLEASE could we hope for a return to the Americana country/blues/soul of Boomer's Story/Bop till U Drop et al? I yearn for those fat chords, shimmering slide and heart-rending sentiment. The world stuff is great, and the recent quirky stuff is, well, quirky, but the earlier stuff is to die for.
And it's not going backwards, it's building on the base, and providing more of the very best, longest-lived music around.
Very best wishes!!
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