Popular Venezuelan band faces backlash over migrant women song
A hit song about Venezuelan migrant women by band Rawayana got unexpected criticism from president Maduro. The group had to cancel their home-country tour after controversy over word veneca
The song “Veneka“ by Rawayana hit social-media in late-24 becoming a huge hit among seven-million Venezuelan migrants worldwide. The tune (which features Akapellah) tries to make the word veneca - once used to mock Venezuelan migrants - into something positive
Our women have never been ʼvenecaʼ they are Venezuelan for their dignity‚ identity beauty and values
Maduroʼs reaction made things worse: the band had to stop their sold-out tour in their home-country. Several music places said they dont have contracts with band‚ and Cusica Fest - where Rawayana was gonna play - got shut down for unknown reasons
The band which started in Caracas back in 07 mixes reggae funk and Caribbean beats. They got three Latin-grammys and now up for their first Grammy award. Before the summer election‚ they posted on social-media asking people to vote for opposition guy Edmundo González
The word veneca has a weird history: it was first used for Venezuelan-born kids of Colombian people who moved to Venezuela long ago. But when lots of Venezuelans left their country because of problems the word became mean-spirited. Andrés Story from the band told press they wanted to change how people see this word
Popular artists showed support for Rawayana. Singer Danny Ocean wrote online that when Venezuela becomes free theyʼll have lots of shows. The government known for closing places that help opposition already shut down many businesses during María Corina Machadoʼs campaign
