This is your first look at the incredible new video from Northland musician Troy Kingi. ‘Ethiopia’ is visually stunning, political and a bit surreal.
‘Ethiopia’ is the first single from Troy’s album Holy Colony Burning Acres, a politically conscious, deep roots album.
Holy Colony Burning Acres is the third instalment of Troy Kingi’s aspirational “10|10|10” series – ten albums in ten genres in ten years.
The new album is a stark contrast to the psychedelia of his last album Shake That Skinny Ass All The Way To Zygertron. It’s a 70s-styled deep roots/reggae record that delves into indigenous politics, especially colonisation and the crippling effect it’s had worldwide.
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‘Ethiopia’ is about the origin of humanity.
“We know now that humankind arose out of Africa, and in particular Ethiopia, but yet the racial divide is what it is,” Troy says, “Whakapapa suggests that if anyone should feel superior it’s the Blackman, but we all know that for anyone to think like that is mindboggling to say the least.”
The track also ties in reggae/roots links to Rastafarianism and Emperor Haile Selassie I – Ethiopia’s Emperor from 1930 to 1974, who was revered by Rastafarians as the returned messiah of the Bible, God incarnate.
The video was conceptualised and directed by Isaac Bell and produced by Lissandra Leite.
