About the song:

“The Ballad of Renée Nicole Good,” is a contemporary protest song responding to the events of January 7, 2026, when Renée Nicole Macklin Good—a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three—was fatally shot by a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

The track will be released on Bandcamp on August 19th.  In lieu of purchase, the song will be available for free and listeners are encouraged to make a donation to the Immigrant Defense Project via www.victorvgurbo.com/idp, with the link also featured across all streaming platforms and social media. 

The song has been named a finalist in “When Voices Rise: A New Generation of Protest Music” hosted by Jaime Lozano and sponsored by La Familia, Nancy Nachama Cheser, and the Silbert Charitable Trust, and will be performed live at Joe’s Pub in New York City on August 21st.  A subsequent performance, alongside additional protest material, will take place in September at the nonprofit cultural heritage center City Lore and the live performance will be documented live by RTL News. 

This recording features Victor V. Gurbo (vocals, acoustic guitar), Mark Caserta (electric guitar), and Katie Chambers (cello).  The track was mixed and mastered by Mark Caserta at Drywall Studios.  

About Victor V. Gurbo & Mark Caserta:

Victor V. Gurbo is a roots revivalist singer-songwriter whose work blends folk, blues, and country into a sound that feels both timeless and contemporary.  Through live performance and independently produced recordings, he has cultivated a grassroots audience, bringing his music to venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  His recent work draws from the canon of American protest music, pairing stark observation and poetic lyricism with a deep respect for tradition. Grounded in history yet urgently of the present, these songs confront American life with unflinching honesty.

Victor V. Gurbo and multi-instrumentalist Mark Caserta began collaborating during the pandemic lockdown of 2020. Unable to perform live or work together in person, they turned to remote recording, assembling makeshift home studios from whatever materials were available. Using handmade guitars, antique radios converted into amplifiers, and even found household objects, the duo created over 100 recordings spanning traditional songs, pop covers, and original compositions. This body of work culminated in Outrun the Invisible Man (Home Recordings, Volume I), released in 2025. They are currently developing a new collection of topical and historically informed protest songs, to be released at a later date.   

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The Winners & Finalists of “When Voices Rise: A New Generation of Protest Music”:

Crys Matthews: Forged in Fire
Karina Daza: Extranjera
Rissi Palmer: Seeds
Rosabella Gregory & Dina Gregory: Tour of Duty
Eric Jones: We Good
Mare Berger: Seeds to the Light
Victor V. Gurbo & Mark Caserta: The Ballad of Renée Nicole Good
Aly Halpert: Quit Your Job
Lauren Marcus: What It Really Cost You
Rebecca Murillo: The Raft
Rona Siddiqui: What They Wore

About When Voices Rise:

"The When Voices Rise Songwriting Contest invited musicians to submit original songs that speak to the urgency, complexity, and hope of this moment in history. Carrying on (but not limited to) the legacy of the protest and folk music of the 1960s and 70s in the U.S. and Latin America’s Nueva Canción movement, we sought original work, in any style or genre, that reflects the power of song to awaken minds and stir hearts. We accepted work in English, Spanish, or other languages that brought ideas to life.

This summer, after watching the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, we were reminded of the crucial role music played during the turbulent sixties and seventies in both the United States and Latin America with the Nueva Canción movement, and we wanted to foster its resurgence in today’s volatile realities. As artists frequently deflated by the daily barrage of news, the thought of finding a creative response energized us.  Pete Seeger once said, “I always believed that the right song at the right moment could change history.” And in that spirit and belief, we decided to sponsor the When Voices Rise Songwriting Contest. 

In times of uncertainty, music has always offered both refuge and resistance. From the folk-driven protest songs of the 1960s and ’70s in the United States to the powerful voices of the Nueva Canción movement across Latin America, artists have long used music to reflect the struggles, hopes, and resilience of their communities. This song contest invites participants to draw inspiration from that rich legacy—celebrating music not only as an art form, but as a way of listening, reflecting on the past, and connecting in the present."

Sponsored by:

"La Familia is an organization founded by Jaime Lozano and Florencia Cuenca to foster community and artistic opportunities for Latine and immigrant artists. Jaime Lozano is a Mexican-born composer, orchestrator, and musical theatre storyteller whose work blends Latin musical idioms with theatrical emotion. As a multi-hyphenate artist, Jaime has orchestrated, arranged, directed, and produced across projects both in the U.S. and internationally, was a Lincoln Center Artist in Residence, and collaborated with many of the top artists including Lin-Manuel Miranda. Jaime also leads “Jaime Lozano & The Familia: Songs by an Immigrant” — a concert project bringing immigrant narratives to life through music. Florencia Cuenca is a Mexican immigrant multi-hyphenate theatre maker passionate about developing projects that celebrate the intersection of diversity, women, and Latine communities. She recently made history as the first Mexican immigrant originating a co-lead role on Broadway in the musical Real Women Have Curves. Their journey is one of bridging worlds—drawing from their Mexican roots while contributing to the evolving tapestry of American musical theatre.  

Nancy Nachama Cheser is an artist, playwright, and educator whose work bridges the movements of the 1960s and 70s to today’s realities. Her poster art from that era created with a collective of women — now in the collections of libraries at Duke University, Radcliffe College, MOMA, Rhode Island School of Design Museum, and Smith College - reflected the spirit of art as a response to political realities. As a playwright and lyricist, she brings that same creative urgency to stories and music. Nancy’s recent collaboration Present Perfect, co-written with Mexican composer Jaime Lozano, follows characters navigating language, home, and identity across diverse communities.  

The Saul N. Silbert Charitable Trust is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization incorporated in 1994 and is a generous sponsor of When Voices Rise. It was founded by Saul Silbert from his personal estate. He was a self-made man whose family came to the United States with little. A lover of the arts who studied theater, piano, and drawing through his last days, Saul Silbert believed strongly in the value of education and self-reliance. Executive Director Sarah Silbert Hinawi is a committed community arts leader and musician. She oversaw Purpl, a community-driven workspace and music/arts venue funded by the Saul N. Silbert Charitable Trust, curating opportunities and opening doors for emerging voices."