From Appalachia to Latin America: Kentucky’s Cultural Diversity

We’re so happy to present our NEW video, “Home“! We are Kentucky artists sharing music, dance, food, and a big party! Some folks don’t realize that Kentucky is a place with much cultural diversity to share, and we’re working to change that. Our group, Cornbread & Tortillas, is a collective of Appalachian and Latino artists, and our mission is to build community by sharing art, music, dance, and cultural heritage. This is our very first official release!

Making the Project

Our group recorded this song during the lockdown, and then shot the video in two locations. One represents the Appalachian artists in our ensemble, and was filmed in Whitesburg, Kentucky, my hometown nestled deep in coal country. The other location is Louisville, Kentucky, where several of our immigrant artists help create a vibrant and diverse musical scene. We even had a big party at the end where we brought dishes from our various cultures. Dishes included greasy beans, cornbread, tortillas, queso, salsa, and a bean dish from Nicaragua called “Gallo Pinto!”

Via this video, we show the connections we share through universal human activities. We chose scenes at a square dance, a cabin, a park, and a party to create the vibe! The lyrics to the song are in English with some Spanish thrown in. They talk about the ways our friends and families can help us through all the ups and downs of life.

Kentucky is Changing

It’s important to us to represent the changing face AND the cultural diversity of Kentucky. Cornbread & Tortillas celebrates our similarities and differences with people all over the world. We want to show that everyone has a place at the table here, and that our diversity makes us better and stronger!

We hope you enjoy the video–it puts a smile on my face every time I watch it. Please consider sharing our YouTube Link if it touches your heart—and know you’ll be supporting independent artists when you do so!

Love cornbread? Get my Granny’s recipe video and lots of other goodies in my Mountain Mama Digital Care Package!