MARFA — Marfa Live Arts’ first music video — a collaboration with Ojinaga singer-songwriter Ramón Vega Navarro — has completed production and is available for viewing beginning today on Marfa Live Arts’ Facebook and Instagram pages. Navarro’s song, “Doble Nacionalidad,” is an ode to Mexican workers that cross the border daily to earn a better wage for themselves and their families. He was moved to write the song after witnessing Village Farms workers coming to and from Ojinaga on a daily basis.
The filming of the video, director Tina Rivera said, was met with positivity and a spirit of graciousness from Village Farms. “When I first began reaching out to Village Farms and their employees with details about the production, the project was immediately well embraced and everyone was quick to offer assistance,” Rivera said. “Getting these initial reactions was the moment I realized that this project was beyond just another music video.”
For Village Farms’ Darin Gemmel, vice president of Human Resources Administration and Compliance Texas Operations, the tribute to the workers is a reason for pride for the company. “This is very exciting, and we are so proud of our employees,” he said. “To hear that there was a song made about [our employees’] hard work is just great to hear. We have been in the area for over 25 years offering employment and this song certainly rings true to many of our folks that do this type of travel and work each day to provide for their families.” Other Village Farms employees weighed in on the video, with Packhouse Supervisor Ely Gutierrez saying, “This song touches my heart,” and Mary Baca stating, “This is a great and powerful song.”
For Rivera, the daughter of immigrants from the Philippines, the song also hit close to home. “My parents were first-generation American immigrants. I spent a lot of time in my youth packing giant boxes to send back to the Philippines and bringing as much as the airlines would allow when we visited,” she explained. “There are so many sentiments in the lyrics that are very relatable in terms of the pride my parents carried being able to provide for our extended family back home, but also what it means to have dual citizenship.”
The video, which was shot in Marfa and the surrounding area, features Village Farms workers and is available to watch at www.facebook.com/marfalivearts and on Instagram at @marfalivearts. It will also be distributed to television and radio stations throughout the region. For more information on upcoming Marfa Live Arts programs and events, please visit www.marfalivearts.org.