COSACOSA - Call - New Protest Songs

Album artwork - dark blue night sky with many stars, emerging from outstretched hands, wrapped in a light blue quilt with gold trim, decorated with colorful symbols - with white text "Call: new protest songs, a project of COSACOSA art at large, Inc."

Hear the Call – 14 new protest songs
by Philadelphia area artists of color

A COSACOSA original album release!

Call, an album of 14 new protest songs, combines the narrative power of 8 Philadelphia songwriters of color with the artistry of over 30 area singers and musicians. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the album is a project of COSACOSA art at large, Inc.

Call originated as a "call to action" highlighting issues from police brutality to mental health, from bodily autonomy to housing insecurity, from the school-to-prison pipeline to the power of Black culture. Individual tracks are written from varied perspectives and in diverse musical genres, including neo soul, jazz, R&B, folk, and gospel.

COSACOSA first convened the artistic team in 2021. The participating songwriters include Jay Fluellen, Keisha Hutchins, Homer Jackson, Namarah, Victor Rodriguez, Jr., Venissa Santi, James Solomon, and Cassendre Xavier.

The album was recorded and produced by Anthony Tidd of TidbiT SonoS, Homer Jackson of Philadelphia Jazz Project, and Chris Ploss of Sunwood Recording. The album cover art is by Shae Payne.

Check out the Call album booklet with lyrics and songwriter commentaries here.

Call is available for download and streaming on all major platforms. Listen now:

Call Tracks

Track 1: Who Does the World Stop For?
music & lyrics by Namarah Anjel McCall
vocals - Namarah
instrumentation - Joshua Rollin
produced by Namarah & Joshua Rollin
post-production/mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 2: Captivity
music & lyrics by James Solomon & Homer Jackson
vocals - V. Shayne Frederick
violin - Veronic Jurkiewicz
piano - Adam Faulk
bass - Matt Engle
drums - Malik Henry
produced by Homer Jackson
mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 3: Fighting for Room
music & lyrics by Victor Rodriguez, Jr.
lead vocals - Victor Rodriguez, Jr.
backup vocals - Demetria Joyce Bailey, Joanne Joella & Moriah Middlebrook
piano & bass - Anthony Tidd
guitar - Jack Faracchio
drums - Ricardo Martino
produced & mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 4: Everybody
music & lyrics by Keisha Hutchins
vocals - Keisha Hutchins
piano - Micah Graves
bass - Anthony Tidd
drums - Doug Hirlinger
produced & mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 5: I Am Here
music & lyrics by Cassendre Xavier
vocals & guitar - Cassendre Xavier
bass & percussion - Anthony Tidd
produced & mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 6: There is No You Without Us
music & lyrics by Jay Fluellen
vocals, piano & organ - Jay Fluellen
guitar, bass & percussion - Anthony Tidd
produced & mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 7: Nuff Said
music & lyrics by Venissa Santi
vocals - Venissa Santi
keyboards - Michael Stark
banjo - Joe Hayward
bass - Walter Lorenzut
drums - Zaun Marshburn
produced by Chris Ploss
mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 8: The Deferred
music & lyrics by Namarah Anjel McCall
vocals - Namarah
cello - Zachary Brown
keyboards - Jeff Smith
drums - Malik Chandler
recorded by Tito Orjih
produced & mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 9: STPP (School-to-Prison Pipeline)
music & lyrics by James Solomon & Homer Jackson
vocals - Waverly Alston & Bethlehem Roberson
piano & organ - Adam Faulk
bass - Jocko MacNelly
drums - Malik Henry
produced by Homer Jackson
mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 10: Let's Be Authentic
music & lyrics by Cassendre Xavier
vocals & guitar - Cassendre Xavier
violin - Dorothea DiGiovanni
produced & mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 11: To the Highest Power
music & lyrics by Victor Rodriguez, Jr.
lead vocals - Victor Rodriguez, Jr.
backup vocals - Demetria Joyce Bailey, Joanne Joella & Moriah Middlebrook
piano & bass - Anthony Tidd
guitar - Jack Faracchio
drums - Ricardo Martino
produced & mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 12: Omigoodness
music & lyrics by Venissa Santi
vocals - Venissa Santi
additional vocals - Chris Ploss & Sasha Russo
keyboards - Michael Stark
banjo - Joe Hayward
bass - Walter Lorenzut
drums - Zaun Marshburn
produced by Chris Ploss
mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 13: Stand in Your Power
music & lyrics by Keisha Hutchins
vocals - Keisha Hutchins
piano - Micah Graves
bass - Anthony Tidd
drums - Doug Hirlinger
produced & mastered by Anthony Tidd

Track 14: Strength in Our Unity
music & lyrics by Jay Fluellen
lead vocals - Jay Fluellen
backup vocals & percussion - Valerie Gay, Carrie Lessene & Shafiq Hicks
produced & mastered by Anthony Tidd

Call - New Protest Songs
℗2021-2022 COSACOSA art at large, Inc.

Composite of thirteen photos featuring two dozen people posing, singing, and playing instruments in recording studios.

Call recording session photos

top row (left to right):
photo 1 - vocalists Carrie Lessene, Shafiq Hicks, and Valerie Gay with singer/songwriter Jay Fluellen (3rd from left) recording "Strength in Our Unity"
photo 2 - pianist Micah Graves recording "Everybody" by Keisha Hutchins
photo 3 - singer/songwriter Venissa Santi

2nd row (left to right):
photo 1 - percussionist Ricardo Martino recording "Fighting for Room" by Victor Rodriguez, Jr.
photo 2 - songwriter James Solomon
photo 3 - violinist Dorothea DiGiovanni recording "Let's Be Authentic" by Cassendre Xavier
photo 4 - producer/multi-instrumentalist Anthony Tidd in his studio

3rd row (left to right):
photo 1 - singer/songwriter Cassendre Xavier recording "Let's Be Authentic"
photo 2 - keyboardist Jeff Smith, engineer Tito Orjih, and cellist Zachary Brown with singer/songwriter Namarah (center) recording "The Deferred"
photo 3 - songwriter/producer Homer Jackson

bottom row (left to right):
photo 1 - singer/songwriter Keisha Hutchins with drummer Doug Hirlinger, pianist Micah Graves, and producer Anthony Tidd
photo 2- vocalists Bethlehem Roberson and Waverly Alston recording "STPP (School-to-Prison Pipeline)"
photo 3 - vocalist Demetria Joyce Bailey and singer/songwriter Victor Rodriguez, Jr.

Top row/photo 1 from Carrie Lessene. All other photos from COSACOSA art at large, Inc.