News & Reviews

Singer-Songwriter Joel Rafael Releases New Single “One Vote, One Name”

May 8, 2020 (San Diego, CA): California folk singer Joel Rafael is set to release his new single, “One Vote, One Name,” today, Friday, May 8, 2020. The digital single, released on Inside Recordings, is distributed worldwide through Alternative Distribution Alliance and Sony Music in Japan.

Rafael, a 2020 San Diego Music Awards ‘Best Country/Americana Album’ nominee for his tenth album Rose Avenue, co-produced the track with multi-instrumentalist and frequent collaborator Marty Rifkin. “One Vote, One Name” exhibits the lyrical honesty and musical integrity that we’ve come to expect from Rafael, who arms himself with an acoustic guitar, and weaves magical melodies that enhance his lyrics and underscore their timeless content.

To purchase the new song, please visit: https://smarturl.it/OneVoteOneName

“Can it be any clearer that voting rights will be at the heart of the struggle to rid ourselves of the cancer that is our current presidency? Joel Rafael understands this, as ‘One Vote, One Name’ eloquently testifies,” writes Anthony DeCurtis, Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone. “This song is plainspoken and beautiful — gently sung, urgently felt, never more needed.”

Joel Rafael Portrait with a Guitar and Piano
Photo Credit: Jose Cardenas

“Our vote is our voice,” says Rafael. “It is our most important right, and the only way we can bring about progressive change for ourselves and our fellow citizens. Though this song was first written during the struggles in South Africa to end Apartheid, it is equally relevant now as I find myself concerned about the same kinds of things in this country; from voter suppression, to voter exclusion. The right to vote is ours to claim and defend.”

Rafael has been writing and performing since 1974 and over the past decades has released a stunning collection of ten Americana albums, including a two-disc Woody Guthrie collection with five Guthrie/Rafael co-writes. As a solo performer and with his band, he opened shows and shared stages with Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Dar Williams, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Joan Baez, John Lee Hooker, John Trudell, Kris Kristofferson, Laura Nyro, Odetta, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, and Taj Mahal.