Arcade Fire’s Win Butler Brews Up Signature Coffee for Charity

Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler revealed Friday that he has teamed up with La Colombe Coffee to create his own signature brew, RaRa, which is grown in Haiti and roasted in Philadelphia. Sale proceeds from the product – which is currently available for pre-order – will benefit Partners in Health and Haiti Coffee Academy, the latter a program that helps Haitian farmers increase their profits from coffee production.

“Being in the mountains of Haiti, it is hard not to think about coffee,” Butler said in a statement. “The elevation, the sunshine, the soil and incredible people who have been growing the plant on tiny family plots for centuries. Haiti is buzzing with potential and possibility, and coffee can be an important part of its rebirth!”

Arcade Fire has numerous connections to the country: singer Régine Chassagne’s parents are Haitian, and the band’s first LP, Funeral, included the song “Haiti.” The band’s most recent album, 2013’s Reflektor, was heavily inspired by the country’s music and culture.

In related news, Reflektor recently secured a nod for Best Alternative Music Album at next year’s Grammy Awards. The band’s inspirational – and controversial – clip for “We Exist” also earned a nomination for Best Music Video.

The clip stars Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield as a transgender woman and earned criticism from Against Me!’s transgender frontwoman Laura Jane Grace for not hiring an “actual ‘trans’ actor” for the video. “There was just so much thought and love that went into the video, I don’t personally see it as negative,” Butler told The Advocate in May, while adding that he can “totally see the sensitivity of the issue.”

Arcade Fire previously won Album of the Year for The Suburbs at the 2011 Grammys, though, curiously, they failed to win Best Alternative Music Album for the same LP.