Hurray for the Riff Raff Shines a Light on Puerto Rico in “Pa’lante” Video

Indie-folk group Hurray for the Riff Raff has released a new music video for the song “Pa’lante” which comes off their incredible 2017 release The Navigator. While their previous music video looked at life on the streets of New York City, “Pa’lante” is a touching tribute to Puerto Rico. The long-form music video, directed by Kristian Mercado Figueroa, takes a look at the life of a family in post-Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico, and the struggles they endure as they attempt to piece their lives back together. The action follows the family as husband and wife try to reconcile their differences and raise their daughter, despite their own shortcomings and difficulties.

The song, a touching piano-driven ballad, sees bandleader Alynda Segarra at her most beautiful, belting out a series of powerful lyrics that blend perfectly together with the action happening on screen. As Segarra is of Puerto Rican descent, this project holds a great deal of meaning for her. The intersection of great cinematography, great acting, and great music gives the video a unique look and feel, one that holds the viewer’s attention throughout its 8-minute plus run time. Hurray for the Riff Raff has been on a roll for the past couple of years as their previous two records, The Navigator and Small Town Heroes, have pushed the band’s sound in bold and exciting new directions. You can watch the video for “Pa’lante” in the player below.

Photo credit Sharon Alagna

Andy Lindquist: Music news writer at mxdwn.com. Part of the mxdwn team since 2017. I have been writing about music for some time now and also play in an pop/rock band. I have a BA in rhetoric from UC Berkeley. Born and raised in the San Francisco bay area and still currently living out on the eastern side of the bay.
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