Kevin Bronson on February 20th, 2017

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Unlike the current occupant of the White House, L.A. sonic fusionists Las Cafeteras don’t claim to have all the answers or be the quick fix to our nation’s problems. “If i was president, well, there’d still be drama / Takes a village to heal our generational trauma,” they sing in their new bilingual single “If I Was President,” which arrived today as a free download.

In that spirit, the L.A. band, children of immigrants who fuse Son Jarocho, hip-hop, folk, indie-rock and more into upbeat, socially conscious tunes, will be releasing the audio stems inviting remixers to imagine themselves as commander-in-chief and make their own version of the song. An interactive video of the song is also in the works; it will pose the question: “What would you do if you were president?”

The song is the first single from Las Cafeteras’ forthcoming album “Tastes Like L.A.” Last year, the band — Denise Carlos, Leah Gallegos, Daniel French, David Flores, Hector Flores, and Jose Cano — did a 19-date “Yo No Creo En Fronteras” (I Don’t Believe in Borders) Tour,” and their messages have only gotten more relevant.

“The President says he wants to build a wall. Las Cafeteras want to build bridges,” Carlos says.

“We wanted to engage people’s imaginations about the future of this country,” the band says. “Everyone knows what’s wrong, but not many know what to do. We hope to push people to think about themselves as presidents of their homes, schools, workplaces and to create the kind of country they would like to see starting from the local and moving outward.”

||| Stream: “If I Was President”