Lin-Manuel Miranda- Almost Like Praying [VIDEO]

Via press release:

Atlantic Records has announced this week’s release of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Almost Like Praying” (Feat. Marc Anthony, Ruben Blades, Camila Cabello, Pedro Capo, Dessa, Gloria Estefan, Fat Joe, Luis Fonsi, Juan Luis Guerra, Alex Lacamoire, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Lopez, Rita Moreno, Ednita Nazario, Joell Ortiz, Anthony Ramos, Gina Rodriguez, Gilberto Santa Rosa, PJ Sin Suela, Tommy Torres, and Ana Villafañe).” The extraordinary all-star single will be available at all digital music retailers and streaming services beginning today, October 6th.

With music and lyrics by the Pulitzer Prize, Tony, GRAMMY, Emmy Award-winning creator of HAMILTON Lin-Manuel Miranda, and produced by Jeffrey “Trooko” Penalva, “Almost Like Praying” was written and recorded last weekend at studios in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Miranda traveled to each location to work closely with the contributing performers. Penned by Miranda only last week, the original song borrows its title and instantly indelible hook from Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s classic, “Maria,” from the original Broadway musical, WEST SIDE STORY.

CBS News reports:

Much of the new track’s lyrics are the names of the 78 towns in Puerto Rico. Miranda said he was inspired by the frantic calls on social media from those on the island who were hoping to hear something about the towns, cut off from communication, where loved ones were.

“What I saw on my Facebook feed — and I’m sure a lot of other Latinos feel the same way — was this roll call of towns. ‘Has anyone heard from Isabela? ‘Has anyone heard from ‘San Juan?’ ‘My grandmother is in Lares,'” Miranda said.

“If I can manage to put all 78 towns into a lyric for this song and then use the song for fundraising relief, that’s something we can all get behind.” Miranda also said he has no regrets criticizing President Trump on social media following the disaster in Puerto Rico.

And from Mediaite:



After discussing the lengths he went to record the song with people still on the hurricane-ravaged island, the composer and playwright expanded on the song’s title “Almost Like Praying.”

“Thoughts and prayers are great but thoughts and prayers are not enough,” he explained. “We need more. We need action. We need the governmental response to be equal to the response of the people which, you know, I have never had more hope in the American people and people all over the world.”

“I go to my Twitter feed, it’s people breaking their piggy banks, it’s employers matching employee donations,” he continued. “We are not the issue. If our government can step up to where the people are, we’ll be on the road to recovery a lot faster.”