Cover Me, The Coalesce Choir: American Skin (41 Shots)

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, Washington DC-based Americana artist Domenic Cicala found himself feeling frustrated and powerless.

Unable to protest in the streets for health reasons, Domenic decided to protest through song. He reached out to his artistic network and built a musical coalition called The Coalesce Choir to raise money and awareness for Black Lives Matter.

Domenic had his musicians, and he found his engineer and co-producer in Steve Carr. He had a song in mind, too: Bruce Springsteen’s “American Skin (41 Shots).”

A self-professed huge Springsteen fan, Domenic told me, “I don’t think I realized how long it had been since the Amadou Diallo murder. When I did realize, I think it just added to my frustration. I wanted to do the song but I wanted it to be a community statement and not just me…  I envisioned a treatment that maintained the power of the original tune but had that ‘raise your voices’ impact.”

The finished track definitely makes the impact Domenic strove for. It’s every bit as powerful as Bruce’s original but lifted even higher through the seamlessly interwoven contributions of the assembled voices and musicians. (Domenic sings the lead on the verses.)

If you like The Coalesce Choir’s version of “American Skin (41 Shots),” consider buying it as a download. (I just did.) It’s only five dollars, and all proceeds support Black Lives Matter and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Thanks for bringing this superb cover to my attention, Domenic!