The first time I saw Signa was back in 2012 at the Observatory in Santa Ana, they opened for Jarabe de Palo and from the very first song I was blown away by the passion and energy they had on that stage.
Ever since that performance at The Observatory, I have followed the band and have seen them several times and with each performance the band just seems to get better, but Signa is not just a great live band, they are also a band with a great sense of social awareness as it is evidence by their latest video, “Pinches Y Jardineros”, where they sing about the plight of immigrant workers in this country.
Since the members of Signa are either first generation immigrants or come from families of immigrants, they felt they had to share the story of so many hard working immigrants who live in the shadows out of fear of being deported and because of that fear; very often immigrants are mistreated, discriminated and treated like lower class citizens.
For this video, which was masterfully directed by Francisco Gonzalez, Signa shows real life immigrants who are waiting outside a popular multinational hardware store hoping to be picked up by people looking for help with their construction or gardening. Many of these men waiting in those corners or parking lots are educated people with certifications and even higher degrees, but because they are here “illegal” they cannot find jobs in their trained profession and they have to do whatever it takes in order to make money to take care of their families. Inserted throughout the music video there are short vignettes of immigrants and their struggles and successes.
Along with the music video, the band also recorded extended interviews with some of the people featured in the video and in this extended interviews, we can hear inspiring stories of loss, suffering and triumph.
To learn more about Signa, you can follow them on their official website: www.signarock.com and their facebook page.
*Photo: Francisco Gonzalez
