Artist Donates Proceeds From Song Responding To AZ Controversy

LOS ANGELES, CA – Ry Cooder created his new single “Quicksand” in response to anti-immigrant law SB 1070 and the ongoing Arizona immigration battle. SB 1070 requires police to demand ‘papers’ from people they stop who they suspect are "unlawfully present" in the U.S. 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. Today, Ry Cooder's "Quicksand" went on sale exclusively on iTunes, and Cooder has pledged to donate all proceeds from the song to MALDEF.

Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF President and General Counsel, stated that "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."

Cooder produced the 1996 album Buena Vista Social Club, followed by solo projects with Ibrahim Ferrer and Manuel Galban, of Los Zafiros. “Quicksand” features Cooder's son Joachim on drums, with backup vocals by Lucina Rodgriguez and Fabiola Trujillo of the Mexican roots band Los Cenzontles. The artwork for the single features the piece "Nuthin' To See Here, Keep On Movin'!" by frequent collaborator Vincent Valdez.

“The Devil’s Highway has been used by migrants traveling on foot for over 100 years,” says Cooder of the journey depicted in the song. “You should try it sometime. Out there, temperatures can get above 130 degrees. If you fall down, you have religious hallucinations, then you die, cooking from the inside out. If you get lucky, you might make it to Yuma, but then what?”

Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the “law firm of the Latino community,” MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org.