MUMBAI: Following a worldwide call for voice and dance submissions in November – today, BACARDÍ® rum debuted the official music video and full song for the first-ever remake of global hit single, “Conga” Feat. Meek Mill, Leslie Grace, Produced by Boi-1da. Incorporating fan submissions from around the world, the world’s most awarded rum brand is once again inspiring people everywhere to do what moves them through song and dance, with the new “Conga Feat. You” campaign.
Featuring lead vocals from three-time Latin GRAMMY Awards nominee, 2020 Latin GRAMMY Awards performer and upcoming In the Heights star Leslie Grace, rap verses by GRAMMY-nominated musician and criminal justice reform advocate Meek Mill, and produced by Multi Diamond selling, GRAMMY Award-winning, “Producer of the Year” nominee Boi-1da, the “Conga” remake is a fresh twist on the hit 1985 single from Miami Sound Machine’s Emilio and Gloria Estefan. Blessed by Emilio Estefan, this new version of “Conga” is remixed for a modern audience that celebrates the beauty of self-expression and is sure to make you move your feet.
“BACARDÍ is thrilled to reveal the first-ever remake of the global smash hit ‘Conga’ and official music video. Over the past month, we closely reviewed all the incredible fan submissions from around the world and incorporated a select number into the final music video alongside the artists,” said Ned Duggan, Global Senior Vice President for BACARDÍ rum. “We’ve always seen music as such a powerful force in bringing people together, and as the world trended toward division and isolation this past year, we wanted to use music as a catalyst to bring people back together in a way that has never been done before. We can’t wait for you to see it.”
The lively full-length music video intersperses “Conga” enthusiasts’ dance moves alongside Leslie Grace, Meek Mill, and Boi-1da as they move through a vibrant Caribbean world. As the music video progresses, user-submitted dance moves begin to sync up with the artists’ choreography, culminating with the three lead artists visually pulling individuals from their own UGC worlds and inserting them into the Caribbean world, where they can all feel the rhythm of the music together. To encourage participation, popular Indian influencers like Aadil Khan, Awez Darbar, Sushant Digvikar, Shakti Mohan, Nicole of the widely followed Team Naach had joined forces with BACARDÍ to recruit “Conga” enthusiasts near and far to join in on the fun.
Additionally, the official music video also boasts an impressive roster of celebrities and influencers – including 2020 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl Jasmine Sanders, viral street-dance performer Lil Buck and singer, dancer and TV judge Alesha Dixon – who recruited “Conga” enthusiasts near and far to submit their dance moves and vocals when the campaign first kicked off in November. The music video also features an exciting cameo by Emilio Estefan, one of the producers behind the original “Conga” track.
The “Conga.Feat.You” track is best experienced with the classic BACARDÍ Mojito. A delicious cocktail to quench rum drinkers’ thirst as they dance the night away, this Caribbean classic Mojito is made with a base of BACARDÍ Carta Blanca Rum.
BACARDÍ Mojito
Ingredients:
50 ml BACARDÍ Carta Blanca Rum
4 lime wedges
10 fresh mint leaves
20 ml sugar syrup
25 ml soda water / club soda
Sprig of fresh mint
Glassware: Highball glass
Garnish: Mint sprig
Method:
Take the lime wedges and squeeze them in the glass and add sugar syrup. Gently press together the limes & sugar with a muddler.
Bruise the mint leaves by clapping them between your palms, rub them on the rim of the glass and drop them in.
Next, half fill the glass with crushed ice, add the BACARDÍ Carta Blanca rum & stir.
Top with crushed ice, a sprig of mint and club soda.
The official song release is accompanied by an extensive media buy – with a 30-second spot of the music video airing during Super Bowl pre-programming and during the premiere of “The Equalizer” after the big game. The “Conga Feat. You” campaign spot will extend through the month of February around cable originals and live sports including NHL and NBA, as well as premium Connected TV environments and surrounding relevant artists on YouTube and Vevo. In February and March, “Conga” messaging will extend to Instagram, Twitter, Soundcloud and Pandora, and Snapchat users will be able to engage with a custom choreographer lens to the “Conga” track brought to you by BACARDÍ. Lastly, fans will be able to tune into custom Genius series “Verified” and “The Cosign Live” on Twitch to learn more about the remaking-of “Conga” and engage with user reactions to the track in real-time.
For more information on BACARDÍ rum and cocktail recipes, visit www.BACARDI.com.