Natalia Lafourcade, Carlos Santana, and Edgar Barrera Find Hope in the Face of Violence in “Hermano”

Carlos Santana has been making music for more than half a century, but some of the issues that surrounded him when he performed at Woodstock in 1969 remain as relevant as ever. Among them are racism and discrimination against immigrants, two realities at the heart of “Hermano,” his new collaboration with Natalia Lafourcade, co-written and produced by Edgar Barrera.

Released on October 29th, the song blends son jarocho, a traditional folk music style from the Mexican state of Veracruz, with Santana’s unmistakable guitar, offering a message of empathy and solidarity in the face of violence. It also marks another chapter in Santana’s creative partnership with Barrera, who heads into the 2026 Latin Grammys with 10 nominations, including one for Song of the Year for the Becky G/ Santana collab titled “Mi Gran Amor.”

The story behind “Hermano” began taking shape roughly two years ago, when Santana and Barrera started discussing the direction of the guitarist’s next album. They agreed that the increasingly hostile climate facing immigrants needed to be addressed. As Barrera recalls Santana telling him, “That’s what rock is about. It’s about talking about what’s happening in the streets.”

Lafourcade was their first choice to help bring that message to life. The Mexican singer-songwriter accepted the invitation and, during a trip to Miami, met Barrera at his studio with the first verses of what would become “Hermano.” Together, they developed the chorus and worked on the song before presenting it to Santana, who, as he’s known to do, took it to yet another level.

Speaking with Consequence Latino, Lafourcade and Barrera discuss the song’s evolution, the concerns that connect different generations of Latin American musicians, and the responsibility that comes with making music in divisive times.

Consequence Latino: Natalia, how did “Hermano” first come to you, and how did it evolve once you and Edgar started working together?

Natalia Lafourcade: One morning, I woke up with this song in my head. It was different. It was more of a ballad, something much more melancholic. That’s really how “Hermano” first appeared. It started with some verses, and then our meeting was very important because it allowed us to turn that information around.

It came as a sad idea, really, about a painful situation involving human bonds that have been broken, fractured, even betrayed. These bonds between human beings throughout history. This idea of, if you’re my brother, why are you waging war against me? Why are you shooting at me? Why are you mistreating me? Why is there violence if, in the end, we’re brothers?

Carlos really emphasized this when I met him: the importance of this song of peace in times like these, of helping us not live in fear. Because living in fear is like the worst disease there is.

When Edgar and I got together, we managed to find those moments of hope and light in the song. It was very important to us that it carried a powerful, forceful message, but that it also brought light and hope to the people who hear it. That it would be a song that generates conversation, reflection, even debate.

Consequence Latino: Carlos comes from a very different generation than yours. Do you feel “Hermano” connects the concerns of his generation with those of today?

Edgar Barrera: I think so. Obviously, I didn’t experience Carlos’ generation, but during our conversations, he would tell me about Woodstock and the 1960s.

Carlos played Woodstock, and he went through a lot himself. Just yesterday, he was telling me how people in the United States used to make fun of him for being Mexican. They would say, “Here comes the Mexican who thinks he knows how to play rock music in English.”

One way or another, racism and inequality have always existed against Latin Americans. Being able to sing about this and give a voice to that problem is important. What worries me a little is that, if this is such a huge problem, why aren’t more people talking about it?

Consequence Latino: Natalia, what does it mean to you to sing about something that continues to affect different generations?

Natalia Lafourcade: I remember listening to an interview with Mercedes Sosa in which she talked about the responsibility we have as artists. How a song can raise awareness, awaken the mind, the soul, and the spirit. Music has that strength, that power.

When I sing the lyrics to “Hermano,” I feel two things. On one hand, it makes me sad because of the reality those lyrics reflect. At the same time, I’m grateful to be in a position where I can sing them. I cross my fingers and hope that this song will move people.

There are moments in the song that I find deeply moving. It talks about the simplicity of life, the humility of life. It talks about a brother confronting his own brother: the brother holding the gun and the brother who would receive the bullet.

For me, lyrics like these are very powerful, especially because I live in a world of flowers and butterflies, in my own beautiful little world. Singing a song like this is very difficult for me. But it’s necessary.

Consequence Latino: Edgar, as your songs reach increasingly larger audiences, do you feel a greater responsibility as a songwriter?

Edgar Barrera: A lot of responsibility. Especially when you have children. I have a daughter who just turned two, and whenever I write a song, I think about that. I imagine my daughter listening to it. What are you leaving behind? What message are you sending?

At the end of the day, I’m a tool for the artist. My job is to help artists find themselves and get from point A to point B.

I’ve realized how powerful songs can be when I go to concerts. If I go to a Grupo Frontera show, for example, I see children who are five, six, or 10 years old singing along. And I listen to those songs and think, “Wow, I’m glad I didn’t write anything inappropriate.”

I feel it’s a huge responsibility. It’s also about being a spokesperson for people out there who don’t have a voice. With a song like this, we’re singing to the Latino brother who’s part of this organization working against Latinos (ICE). I can’t understand what goes through the minds of people who do that every day. If we can move the needle even a little, I’ll feel that we’ve accomplished something with this song and its purpose.

Consequence Latino: “Hasta la Raíz” has also been embraced by migrant communities. How does it feel when one of your songs takes on that kind of meaning?

Natalia Lafourcade: That’s the thing about songs, isn’t it? You put yourself at the service of a song. Then the song is born, and it moves people’s hearts and lives. It accompanies them through situations you could never even imagine.

I love that people make these songs their own. It makes me happy. I remember how important that song was to me, but at the same time, I look at it from a distance.

I don’t really feel that these songs belong to me. I feel like I was simply an incubator for the song. I’m glad it’s doing its job. It makes me feel very humble. It’s like, wow, this came from us, but it doesn’t belong to us anymore. It belongs to the community, to the people.