Lin-Manuel Miranda has released a new star-studded ensemble track called “Almost Like Praying” to benefit relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. All proceeds from the song will go to the Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS Disaster Relief Fund.
The upbeat pop song takes its eponymous hook from a sample of a clip from “Maria” from West Side Story, but is otherwise sung in Spanish, featuring appearances from Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Camila Cabello, Dessa, Gloria Estefan, Luis Fonsi, Rita Moreno, Fat Joe, Ruben Blades, and more. It culminates in a harmonized refrain of “Puerto Rico.”
“The name ‘Maria’ forever has a negative connotation for this island,” Miranda told USA Today. It’s the worst storm in 100 years. It’s also the name of my favorite song from West Side Story. I kept thinking about that song, so I took a sample from the song ‘Maria,’ to flip it. To literally flip the sample the same way we’re trying to flip the natural disaster into something positive.”
Listen below, and download “Almost Like Praying” here.
https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/0CrR6wiiAF5Myln0EFTRUz
