Danny Ocean was between shows in Australia and New Zealand, but the main thing on his mind was the upcoming Venezuelan elections.
“We are all very tense, waiting to see what will happen,” he told The Times.
A week before the On July 28th he votes in his home country, The singer of “Me Rehúso” and from Caracas released the surprise EP “Venice.” The seven songs, according to the singer-songwriter, are intended to express the emotions felt by millions of people around the world affected by the economic collapse of the once wealthy Latin American country.
In Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro, The Republican presidential candidate, who has long been criticized as an authoritarian figure, is seeking to extend his term for six more years. But he faces challenger Edmundo González Urrutia, a former diplomat who leads in polls by a double-digit lead. Latin American rights advocates, including Ocean, are calling this election one of the most crucial in the nation's history.
Days before the election, the artist remains a vocal advocate and has taken to his platforms, shows and music to express his love for his country and highlight the struggles of Almost 8 million Venezuelan refugees who have sought international protection.
The message these songs convey, at least on a second or third listen, is that this album has been transformed by those beliefs. The fifth track, “Una niña de Venezuela,” tells the story of what immigrants have endured.
“I was an immigrant and I think I’m just talking about my reality,” Ocean said. “I also had to leave, I also had to get to the United States and ask for political asylum. I also went through everything that any other immigrant has to go through.”
In Australia, where Ocean just finished a leg of his tour, he recalled seeing the support from fans worldwide, especially when it comes to a surprise album.
Ocean said those interactions involve the stories of those telling their personal experiences. The song and music video “Escala in Panama,” written together, have resonated with fans since they were released on social media platforms. The cinematic-style video begins with a couple packing their clothes for a trip before the scenes escalate and others begin to flee. The screen then fades to black and a flight attendant’s voice is heard saying, “Welcome to Venezuela, welcome home.” Then the words “Can you imagine?” appear.
“Most of the stories I get are like that,” Ocean said. “People who had to leave their loved ones behind.”
After releasing new music and completing a two-year tour, Ocean plans to take a short break in Fiji, he said, but not before hearing about the news coming out of Venezuela. He hopes the current set list will be a reminder of the South American country's recent history.
“We have an identity crisis, we have all our friends separated, we have our families separated,” Ocean said. “I just want the world to know what we’re going through.”
