The date is Saturday, October 15 in the middle of the field, next to a fence. A macroconcierto under the title of RiseUpAsOne will take place next to one of the crossings of the world’s busiest land border, San Diego and Tijuana, to celebrate through music the unity above the borders. The concert, organized by Univision and Fuison Media, already has in the poster with artists such as Alejandro Sanz, Carlos Vives, Jorge Drexler, Julieta Venegas, Miguel Bosé or Natalia Lafourcade.
In addition to the stars performing at the concert, the event is being sponsored by names like Lyn-Manuel Miranda, the star behind the Hamilton phenomenon, actors Salma Hayek and Samuel L. Jackson, producer and singer Gloria Estefan, writer Junot Díaz or the film director Robert Rodríguez.
The exact location of the concert is called Cross Border Xpress. It is a bridge that crosses from the United States side to the airport of Tijuana, inaugurated last year and, besides being a pride for the two cities, is in itself a powerful visual symbol: the bridge crosses over the old border fence and makes it easier than ever to cross between the two countries. Next to the terminal will be mounted a stage and a space with capacity for 20,000 people.
Among the presenters of the event will be the host of Univision’s main news diary, Jorge Ramos. In addition will participate the actor Gael García Bernal and the director Jonás Cuarón, that this month premiere Desierto, on the crossing of undocumented by the border.
The Spanish producer Javier Limón, promoter of the idea, says that emerged from a conversation with Jorge Drexler and the Hispanic chain about the tension that in the last year has been in the United States on the border with Mexico. The promotion of the concert does not reveal any political intention. But the context in which the event takes place to “celebrate unity” is evident, admits Limón. The concert is three weeks before a presidential election in the United States impregnated with xenophobic discourse and rejection of immigration and good relations between neighboring countries.
This year, along with EL PAÍS and the Berklee School of Music, Lemon also created the Refugio del Sonido project, a four-disc collection to raise awareness of the refugee problem.