“Build Bridges Not Walls”
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 10: (L-R) Ricky Martin, Camila Cabello and J Balvin perform onstage during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10,2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) Getty
Right from the start, the 2019 Grammy Awards set out to be more inclusive of ethnicity and gender when Latin artists Camila Cabello, Ricky Martin, J Balvin, and Arturo Sandoval kickstarted the ceremony with an explosive performance. They also managed to sneak in a secret message: “Build Bridges Not Walls.”
It’s no surprise considering the political context. After all, the nation just endured a government shutdown about a border wall along Mexico — with a potential second shutdown to come. As of today’s writing, President Trump is at the border in Texas pushing for it.
The music industry has not been spared from these policies, as hip-hop star and Grammy nominee 21 Savage was detained by ICE earlier this month.
