Name: La Esperanza Canta by Beth Blatt
Duration: 3 min 34 s
Description: Marta Gomez wrote this "theme song" for Hope Sings to support their work helping women by raising awareness of microfinance. It's inspired by the true success stories of women who transform their lives through these very small loans.

Marta Gomez wrote this "theme song" for Hope Sings to support their work helping women by raising awareness of microfinance. It's inspired by the true success stories of women who transform their lives through these very small loans.

Hope Sings - Single

La Esperanza Canta

These are the demos of the new musical: The Pack.  

1986: In the wake of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, citizens of the nearby town of Pripyat are forced to evacuate, leaving behind their homes, their lives, and their beloved pets. The Pack is the story of the dogs left behind. 
When a gentle mutt named Boychik is left pining for his masters' return, a corrupt Rottweiler takes control and Boychik must learn to hunt, kill, and, ultimately, decide what kind of dog he will become.  Inspired by true events, The Pack is a story of hope and survival when they seem least possible.

05 Join The Pack

Her wheels stopped at a dusty old town
finally’d found a place to settle down
Sat back at evening's pale light
as her troubles softened in the cool and tender night

She was bathed in that soft moonlight

He'd lost it all, his child and his wife
long time running now he wanted back his life
Headed west, snow peaks in sight
as his burdens lifted into the clear blue night

He was bathed in that soft moonlight..and he said

I got a river of change running through my head
Ten tons of trouble I just can’t forget
And all this time wearing down looking round for something better
could this be it?

Their paths crossed, but they would not dare
too much to lose, nothing left to spare
But wonder beckoned one hushed and rainy night 
as fear surrendered at dawn's breaking light

They were bathed in the soft moonlight..and she said  

I got a river of change running through my head
Ten tons of trouble I just can’t forget
And all this time wearing down looking round for something better
could this be it?

Could this be it? How will I know if I should open up, or let it go..
How will I know, how will I know, how will I know..

Under the shade of the mountain pine
two stories born of the same design
Then together they set the past to rest
laid their heads back with the ease of lover's blessed

They were bathed in the soft moonlight

I got the rivers of change running through my head
Ten tons of trouble I just can’t forget
And all this time wearing down, looking round for something better
could this be it?

They were bathed in that soft moonlight

A Cowgirls Tale

Through a course I took with The Prison Mindfulness Institute, I learned about the concept of transformative justice, which seeks to address not just a crime and its impact, but to transform the social and emotional conditions that led up to it. Listening to the stories of some of the men they work with, men who’ve been imprisoned for violent crimes, it’s striking to witness their demonstrable humanity in light of the horror of their crimes. It forces you to consider the bigger picture of their lives, which I attempt to do in Blood Red Love which tells the story of a young man who perpetuates, and eventually ends the cycle of violence that began with his father.

You’d done her wrong, you’d never dare deny
But she got you back good and now here you lie
No redemption in sight..no, Billy, not this time

The sweetest girl, Lorna was something fine
But it made you want to knock her down and steal her shine
You couldn’t understand why love felt so much like dying 

But there’s a blood red love coursing through your veins
Even as it stains the house where she cursed your name
There’s a blood red love coursing through your veins

At night your daddy’d come, mouth loaded like a gun
Always pushing for the tears just to prove he’d won
And when the fists started flying, your mama was nowhere in sight  

Seventeen and you were ages old 
Busted flat and broken when you hit the road
With no future in mind, only a driving need to set a wrong thing right  

But there’s a blood red love coursing through your veins
Even as it stains the house where she cursed your name
Oh there’s a blood red love coursing through your veins

And it was in your gut, in your bones that burning shame
With every cruel word, every angry blow you lived your daddy’s pain
Again…and again

It’s been ten years and you have found your way
Got a wife and a child, it’s a better day
Your boy looks up with a smile, no idea what you’ve had to reconcile

But there’s a blood red love coursing through your veins
Even as it stains the house where she cursed your name
Oh there’s a blood red love, still coursing through your veins

Blood Red Love

22 years dying slowly in Lakota
Waiting on your chance to hit the road and show 'em what your made of
Tatooed lady at the fair saw into your future
Said “Boy, with a little bit of luck, I see you're gonna make it”
And I believe son you will make it…and you will

Rise up singing and lay back easy 
into the arms of a world held open wide
Youre gonna rise up singing and lay back easy 
into the arms of a love you don’t need to hide

Another day fades out the window of the diner
As you’re dreaming ‘bout the day you’ll take the stage, finally free to shine
Tough boy in the corner been giving you the sweet eye
I know it takes everything you’ve got not to cross that line
Oh baby, stay on the safe side of that line..til you can..

Rise up singing and lay back easy 
into the arms of a world held open wide
Oh you will rise up singing, you’re gonna lay back easy
into the arms of a love you don’t need to hide

Standing in the doorway, tears in your eyes
I know you’ve got to leave boy but it kills me
Wish I could have told you to just be who you are
But there’s no place for your light in this darkness 

Two days on the bus, ten miles from New Orleans
A million miles away from everything you’ve been
You call just to say you can’t believe this is for real..
You want so bad I think you’d take the devil’s deal
You want it so bad…but you’ll see..

You will rise up singing and lay back easy 
into the arms of a world held open wide
Oh you will rise up singing and lay back easy
into the arms of a love you don’t need to hide.

Oh boy, you’ll never need to hide…no no, never need to hide, no my love you’ll never need to hide

Rise Up

I was born against the grain
On the jagged heels of a criminal shame
And through my paper thin skin
took that pain, so deep within

Now there’s a fever in my blood
And a darkness that calls me into its arms
Says I’m coming round for you girl
Better, call your angels down…and I called them down, oh I called them down
	
To lift the weight, all the weight
I’m talking bout the weight, all the wicked weight of this mortal skin…
this mortal skin

I learned too much too soon
The kind of knowing that carves a pernicious groove 
And I still can’t fade the stain 
that was buried in my name…like a burning brand, like a burning brand

Beneath the weight, all the weight
I’m talking bout the weight, oh the wicked weight of this mortal skin…
this mortal skin

There’s a demon who doesn’t fear the day
He’ll steal you from the sunshine, and turn your colors grey
I swore he’d never break me down like he did my kin
You know it’s hard to stand my ground but I won’t give in

Still a dreamer lives in me
Won’t give up on possibility 
So back I go into that good night
Do what I can to set things right..and you know I will

Bare the weight, all the weight
I’m talking bout the weight, every ounce of weight of this mortal skin..
this mortal skin

I’ll bare the weight…like my daddy did

The Weight Of Mortal Skin

A plea to get out and vote!

Music/Lyrics/Orchestration: Rona Siddiqui
Vocals: Samia Mounts
Sound Engineer: Brad Wheeler

Change The World

From the musical Salaam Medina: Tales of a Halfghan, this song examines the experience of going to the airport while being brown.

Performed by Joe Joseph, Sherz Aletaha, Deven Kolluri, & Rona Siddiqui

Traveling While Brown

This song was written for my son and his wonderful new wife as a gift for their wedding. It is not like any song I have ever written but I have never written a song that was this important to me.

TO LOVE AND BE LOVED

NWAYE

The 4th single from the SPIRITWALKER album, is a cry of revolt and of hope…. 
“NWAYE,” co-composed by Malou Beauvoir and Paul Beaubrun, is the Creole version of the French verb “to drown” (noyer). It alludes  to the fact that “figuratively, we are getting out of our depth, drowning in all the nonsense we are fed everyday by people trying to control our minds and actions,” Malou illuminates. “We call on Erzuli [the spirit of love] to give us hope, help us keep a level head and make the right call.” Reacting to the Haitian Assembly’s proposed restrictions on the LGBT community, in support of Mariela Castro’s movement in Cuba and to other communities ostracized because of physical appearance, religious beliefs, skin color, etc.  her lyrics speak out to people around the world, asking us to “look inside ourselves,  recognize injustice and have the courage to speak out..” 

Chorus
Drowning…we are Drowning (Nwaye nap e Nwaye) 
Erzuli, if you see me sinking beneath the surface…. Lift me up 
Save the children, save the young people
Help us


Verse
What kind of people try and tell you who to love? 
Do they think they are wiser than the gods above who created us?
. . .
Why do we believe their lies
Instead of hearing our brothers’ cries
For dignity, and hope, and love?
way
But I know it’s not too late
To open up to our fate
Stand up for what’s right
 And finally see the light


How can we close our eyes 
to the ignorance and the lies that surround us?
Like the chains that bound us
But I know that we can change and find a better way
Stand up for what’s right, oh the time has come to fight…

“NWAYE”

Nwaye

Lyricist. 
Librettist.
Evangelist.
Optimist.


La Esperanza Canta

Beth Blatt

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