Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and Regine Chassagne have released a new song ahead of their Krewe du Kanaval event in New Orleans tomorrow.
Teaming up with the Preservation Hall Horns and the rock-and-roots Haitian band RAM, the new track ‘Ann Ale! (Let’s Go!)’ is the festival’s 2018 theme song.
Stream the official #KreweduKanaval anthem, “Ann Ale! (Let’s Go!)” featuring @RAMhaiti , @preshallband and members of @arcadefire at https://t.co/aMEcYx0z6X. ???⚜️? pic.twitter.com/IWEoqvk9vh
— Preservation Hall (@PresHall) February 5, 2018
The track features both Haitian Creole and English lyrics, and a distinctively Arcade Fire-esque euphoric chorus.
The event aims to raise money for KANPE, the Haitian charity co-founded by Chassagne, and the local Preservation Hall Foundation.
Listen on the Krewe du Kanaval website.
The motto of the 2018 festival is the Haitian phrase “Tout moun se moun”, which means “everyone is someone.”
The motto for Krewe du Kanaval is "Tout moun se moun" — a Haitian saying meaning "everyone is someone." This year's theme is "L'Union Fait la Force," or unity makes strength. This saying appears on the Haitian flag and is especially meaningful and timely. [Pt 1/2] pic.twitter.com/MLgb476h6O
— Preservation Hall (@PresHall) January 19, 2018
Win Butler recently took to Twitter to criticise comments made by Donald Trump in which the American president allegedly referred to a number of Central American and African nations as “shithole countries”.
“Trumps comments about Haiti, reflect nothing on the amazing country, and only on his own racism and xenophobia,” Butler commented.
“Haiti is one of the most special and amazing places I’ve been on this earth, and we need more Haitian-Americans.”
In December, Arcade Fire’s latest record ‘Everything Now’ was named in NME’s list of the best albums of 2017.