Welcome Braapers~ Be Ready And Act Promptly! EMERGENCY- Play here.
Those of you who are familiar with Layne Tadesse know what a quality artist he is. The last time I reviewed Layne's music was 2015-EP, 'For The Love.' The most recent of Layne's songs which I'm reviewing today is, 'Emergency.' Released earlier this year on 17th St Recordings and produced by Lewis Richards it contains all the hallmarks I associate with Layne Tadesse. Layne was originally from Eritrea, a war stricken land which he escaped many years ago and has since resided in California. Layne remains very politically, socially and economically aware, bringing the strength of his conviction into both his lyrics and music.
Let's place this song in context. The last few years have given rise to changes that were almost beyond our imagination. Covid arrived with a bang and suddenly we were in lockdown- who would have thought it possible? The effects of covid were devastating and opened the flood gates of fear building on existing fears in the community. During this period, 25th May 2020, the world was shocked, stunned and galvanised into action by the brutal and senseless murder of George Floyd which resulted in the development of the Black Lives Matter movement- its very name provoking some controversy. I am currently reading, 'Why We Kneel, How We Rise,' written by sports commentator Michael Holding and I have to say what a poignant and pertinent read it is, giving me a very different insight into both racism and white privilege. The content for this book is provided by athletes, however, highlights racist experiences that can be found across society.
Layne Tadesse's song 'Emergency,' is speaking specifically about daily life in America and how the rioting and police presence have continued to rise. The facts on Statista show quite clearly how the number of fatal police shootings, particularly within the black community, is entirely disproportionate giving rise to genuine fear. The actual statistics from 2015-May 23 currently stands at 5.8 Black people per million compared to 2.5 Hispanic, 2.3 White and 0.9 other. This means that twice as many Black people are are fatally shot so the reality of these figures backs up everything Layne has to say and re-emphasises the state of emergency. We all know that when a serious situation errupts, riots usually follow and this is also mentioned in Michael Holding's book.
As the track commences Layne introduces his subject very clearly and builds a picture of the current situation before bringing the constitution and lack of freedom into play. He speaks about the youth being blindsided whereas his ancestors were gifted with foresight and prophesised the future. I love the way the music really captures the feelings we get, even second hand when watching the news, as devastating events are relayed. Layne's voice is very distinctive as is the way he uses music- the rise and fall combined with changes of tempo which almost place you at the scene; it is so very powerful.
In summary, 'Emergency' is a critical work that captures a slice from the bottom of the pie- a disturbing reality with no immediate resolution. We really are living in a turbulent world where fear and ignorance are often encouraged whilst the gap between poverty and riches widens rapidly. Let's just add that this is especially critical with the increasing use of AI, which needs to be curbed quickly before it's capable of far worse than taking over our workforce.
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McKenzie~ The Word Magician
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