In 2004, Carlos Izcaray was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had just moved back to his hometown of Caracas after living abroad for decade when protests broke out on the streets of the Venezuelan capital city. Izcaray ended up being detained for nearly 24 hours.

When he was released, Izcaray told me he was instructed not to speak about how he had been treated there in prison. But, Carlos Izcaray didn’t keep quiet. He spoke to the press, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and even testified before the U.S. Congress. Now, Izcaray is using music not just to share his story, but to highlight the stories of others who face similar humanitarian crises.