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ReleaseProduct
Mother of Song
Artist
Kibir La Amlak
Label
Before Zero Records
Catalogue Number
BZR002
Release Date
September 3, 2021

Located in East Africa, south of Lake Victoria or Nam Lolwe, Nalubaale or Nyanza, to use some of the pre-colonial names of the waters, the Wakambi people, speak of ‘Queen Marimba’ who is credited as being the ‘Mother of all Song' and creator of countless instruments.

In 2018, whilst touring in Bogota, Colombia with El Gran Latido, Kibir La Amlak recorded Iber Jose Gomez, a renowned Marimba player from the Colombian Pacific Coast. Together they created this genre-bending piece of music 'Mother of Song (Queen Marimba)'. A blend of Afro-Colombian melody with a UK-style Digi-dub drum and baseline.

The journey of this instrument from the shores of Africa to the Americas is a journey that is a testament to - the determination to hold onto the memories of your roots against all odds. Recorded in Bogota, Colombia, the Marimbas were carried across the Atlantic Ocean in the memories of the Africans that were stolen, stripped of language, traditions and cultures and sold as slaves. Yet despite these atrocities - the strength, beauty and power of Africa could never depart. The Marimba was recreated from memory and served as an unbreakable thread between the diaspora and the continent.

In 2019, the 'Humanitarian Refuge for Life' was staged in Bogota. Feeling as though their freedom and life itself were hanging by a thread, over 3,000 social leaders from all regions of Colombia gathered to take a stand against systemic violence against; African descendants, indigenous people and women - throughout Columbia. El Gran Latido Sound System provided the amplification and musical backdrop for this occasion and 'Mother of Song' was given its first musical airing. The response was powerful and the combination of the traditional Marimba melody with the militancy of the roots reggae drum and bass elevated the spirit of protest.

To honour this story and amplify the cause, an additional version, entitled “El Pueblo No Se Rinde Carajo” has been made featuring a speech from Diego Fernando Porto Carrero, highlighting the ongoing plight of black and indigenous people in Colombia from slavery times up until this present day.

Digital Tracklist

  1. 1 Mother of Song feat. Iber Jose Gomez 4:04 Buy

    Mother of Song feat. Iber Jose Gomez

  2. 2 Queen Marimba 4:04 Buy

    Queen Marimba

  3. 3 El Pueblo No Se Rinde Carajo feat. Iber Jose Gomez & Diego Fernando Porto Carrero 4:59 Buy

    El Pueblo No Se Rinde Carajo feat. Iber Jose Gomez & Diego Fernando Porto Carrero

Kibir La Amlak

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