Hear Me Out: "Heat Melts ICE"

This past Wednesday, March 4th, we hosted the second meeting of Hear Me Out, an in-person music discovery club that de-centers algorithms, and re-centers real human recommendations. Every meeting, each member is tasked with bringing a song of any genre that they think more people should hear, and all of the music is experienced as a group. It’s kind of a show-and-tell but with your favorite music.

Between the I.C.E raids across the US, the wars on Palestine & Iran, and the ongoing conflicts created by Western interference in countries like Congo, Sudan, and Venezuela to name a few, it’s felt like the powers that be have been dedicating unfathomable amounts of time and resources to separate & destroy us. It feels right to shift our focus to unity instead, and so this month’s theme was “Heat Melts ICE,” celebrating musicians from around the world.

People shared contemporary folk from Iran, soul music from the Phillippines, R&B from Egypt, Peruvian jazz and so much more. We also were treated to some Vietnamese dessert baked by one of our members, Kathy Phuong of Mật & Butter. To top it off, we raised over $300 for the Immigrant Defense Project, an organization engaged in the fight against I.C.E, and dedicated to protecting immigrant rights.

It was a really special night, and I’m extremely grateful for this burgeoning community! Read on for a few selects from the night, and links to the playlist.

“Age Ye Rooz” by Faramarz Aslani | Recommended by Parnia

According to our member Parnia, Faramarz Aslani’s “Age Ye Rooz” is considered an Iranian classic. The title translates to “If one day,” and Aslani spends the song thinking about what he’ll do should his lover decide to leave him, but despite this the tone of the song is far from morose. The guitar playing is light and agile, and Aslani is pensive but upbeat. At a time when Iran’s future has been suddenly plunged into uncertainty, it felt good to revisit its past. Aslani passed from a battle with cancer back in 2024, but his music lives on. We stand with the people of Iran. Thanks, Parnia!

Representing: Iran

Genre: Persian contemporary folk

Best for those who like: “beautiful acoustic music”

“Till My Heartaches End” by Ella May Saison | Recommended by: JP

In the lead up to this song, JP gave an impassioned speech about his home country of the Philippines, and its long struggle with the after effects of colonization by Spain, the United States and Japan.

“This song represents the tears of my people.” He said, choking back tears of his own. “Music is all we have.”

Ella May Saison is lovingly referred to as the “Philippine Queen of Soul,” and as we, at JP’s request, closed our eyes and let the song wash over us, it was easy to see why. Thanks JP!

Representing: The Philippines

Genre: Soul Music

Best for those who like: “soul music and power vocals - Mariah Carey / Whitney Houston / Celine Dion”

“Lave Le A (Remix)” by Tonymix | Recommended by Joshua

“Lave Lé A,” is a song about washing yourself of the things you don’t have space for in your life; people, situation, police etc. It’s also a fkn banger, and according to Joshua, who is himself Haitian: “When this comes on in the function we [Haitians] go crazy.” This is actually a remix, and how Tonymix managed to cram four other artists on this while only adding two more seconds to the runtime is beyond me, but apparently that’s pretty typical of a Carribean remix track. I had never heard of the genre “Raboday,” before this, but I want more of it! Thank you, Joshua!

Representing: Haiti

Genre: Raboday

Best for those who like: “high energy Caribbean songs”

“Fire On The Mountain” by Asa | Recommended by: Fola

Aṣa is a French-Nigerian singer & songwriter. On “Fire On The Mountain” she expresses astonishment at the general population’s apathy toward the atrocities of the world. Lines about people buying up blood diamonds and ignoring crimes committed against children are powerful, especially when you check the upload date and realize the song is almost twenty years old. It’s a good reminder that many of the problems & conflicts we’re aware of today aren’t new, they’ve just been magnified. The fire was then and is now a raging blaze, but you no longer have to be in range to see the smoke, so don’t look away. Thank you Fola!

Representing: Nigeria

Genre: Afro-pop / R&B

Best for those who like: “soul food to the ears”

“Alone” by Ephraim | Recommended by Christopher

This one was a crowd pleaser, largely because of the music video, which was definitely made with Windows Movie Maker. But it wasn’t just the 4:3 aspect ratio and bad dance moves in front of a mirror that made Ephraim’s video feel like it could’ve been on TRL. Ephraim pays homage to the early 2000’s era of R&B sonically as well, showcasing clear influence from Craig David and Brandy. Sounds like the kind of R&B I would’ve heard on the radio as a kid. Wrote about that a while ago. Christopher, the member who recommended this, actually discovered Ephraim a few days before the meeting. Thanks Christopher!

Representing: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Genre: Early 2000’s RnB

If you like: Brandy, Imogen Heap, Craig David

“Gallo Pinto” by Daniela Andrade | Reccommended by Allan

“This one’s for my mami, this one’s for my dad / Gave up everything to give me what they couldn’t have.”

The video for “Gallo Pinto” opens with two immigrant parents, who have left behind all they hold dear to build a better life for themselves and their child. Tragically, this also means their child is away from them, outside of their grasp back in their home country. It’s an immigrant tale as old as time. The parents sow seeds in fields and sew pockets on pants, work derided by many as “unskilled labor,” but ultimately the labor that keeps our world moving.

Allan introduced his song by deconstructing the model minority myth, speaking on about how important it was that all immigrants, irregardless of their material, quantifiable contributions to the countries they move to, deserve dignity, safety, and a high quality life. “Gallo Pinto” was actually the last song of the night, and what a closer. Thank you, Allan!

Representing: Honduras, Canada-based

Genre: Pop

If you like: Joni Mitchell

I want to again thank everyone who came through, and give a special thanks once again to Estiee and the team at Vowels for believing in the vision, and allowing us to use their beautiful space. All photos by the wonderful Joshua Sim.

We can do so much more together than we can do independently, and that extends not only to finding great new music, but fighting for what’s right. New York just survived one of the worst winters in its modern history, and we did it together, clearing sidewalks and helping the vulnerable. But even as the ice melts and the temperatures soar away from being life-threatening, there are still many people for whom it is still not safe to venture outside. Donate to the Immigrant Defense Project here, and let’s continue to do our part to make New York safe for all its inhabitants.

If you weren’t able to make it, stay tuned for our next meeting! In the meantime, here are some links to the playlist. Thank you, and I’ll see you soon.

Apple Music | YouTube | Spotify

I’m Ebrima, and this has been Edited for Brevity.