EMURGENCY! VINYL OUT NOW PURCHASE HERE AND AT LOCAL RECORD
STORES ACROSS CANADA
DIGITAL RELEASE SET FOR FALL 2021
SUPPORT AMAI KUDA ET LES BOIS’ SANKOFA MAROON VILLAGE INITIATIVE HERE
Toronto, ON – July 9, 2021 – Today, Toronto-based group and movement, Amai Kuda et Les Bois, share Love Song – a fun, modern take on the classic Motown torch ballad. Inspired by a real life ‘tragic romance,’ the song plays up the tropes of the genre while genuinely speaking to the pain and frustration felt when two people love each other but can’t be together. The multiple distinct voices in the arrangement embody different aspects of the self, each responding to the situation with everything from passionate desperation to calm acceptance, but never taking themselves too seriously. In the end, the song even touches on life’s deeper questions, at once declaring the protagonists to be the writers of their fate and the subjects of a predetermined timeline. It packs a surprising punch for a playful love ballad.
Set in the 60s, the video portrays the complexities of romance with a fairly satirical twist. It captures the distinct personas of the vocals with Amai playing two diametrically opposed characters: the lovesick, shy, nerd girl (who also happens to be queer) interminably hung up on her ex, and the bold diva who feels entirely unrestrained by the conventions of monogamy. In the end, the video’s main message can really be boiled down to a Facebook status: “it’s complicated.” Most importantly, it encourages viewers to have as much fun watching it as the cast did in portraying a love square turned circle – a true nod to the sexual revolution of the era.
The video for Love Song was filmed at the Sankofa Maroon Village site (read more about this fantastic community space below) and directed and produced by Alex McFarland of The Trenches Media, with PA, Rob Licandro. The incredible cast includes Amai Kuda Yemoja Ile, Sharrae Lyon, David Tweneboah, Kudakwashe Mutamba, Tefetro Weekes, Emmett Jones, Selah Weekes, and Waylon Smith.
Love Song is featured on Amai Kuda et Les Bois’ new album, EmUrgency! out now as an exclusive vinyl edition, and set for a digital release this fall. It follows the project’s first single, Ecouché, a sonic, magical spell for healing of the waters. Channeled and sung entirely in a language of ancestral communication, it can never be performed the same way twice. Listen to Ecouchéhere.
Both tracks weave into EmUrgency!’s foundation as a sonic challenge to the music industry and to society at large to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Inspired by Amai’s journey as a queer woman of African descent working to reclaim her power and support marginalized communities in doing the same, the project is an unapologetic demand for the voices and stories of those long ignored to finally be heard. The collective listening will flow as audiences can experience the music in an analog format first, while a digital version of the project with accompanying visual materials will be released from the summer into fall.
Order a copy of EmUrgency! here and see a list of national retailers below to support your local record store.
EmUrgency! was recorded, mixed and mastered at Quantum Vox Music with co-producer, Jimmy Kiddo, and reflects Amai’s vast influences: Afrohouse, alternative neo-Motown, a blend of alt rock, hip hop and downtempo, with inflections of Amai’s Trinidadian heritage and Toronto upbringing in the mix. The album speaks to the struggles, wisdoms, and joys of Amai’s journey, being guided by ancestors and Orishas, and staying true to her calling as mother, healer, warrior and artist, despite the many obstacles facing Black, queer women in the music industry and society at large. On the songs, Amai delves into African Indigenous spiritual traditions, connecting with gods and deities of Yoruba cosmology, the anti-colonial war for survival, unconditional love, honouring elders, as well as the inner child and how to preserve it in times of struggle.
Amai is also passionate about their initiative, the Sankofa Maroon Village (SMV), currently raising funds (see GoFundMe page) to establish the first Black eco-village in Canada. Sankofa Maroon Village is a physical and metaphysical space for African descended folk to rebuild healthy, ROOTED, sustainable community. SMV provides opportunities for communities to deepen their connections to nature, to each other and to their diverse African and Afrosporic cultural traditions and ancestors. They work from a decolonial framework and are committed to respecting the treaties and working in alliance with Indigenous communities, upholding human rights and protecting the natural world. You can find out more and support this powerful project here.
Learn more about Amai Kuda et Les Bois below and stay connected as we experience this EmUgency! together over the coming months.
Toronto, ON: Mike’s Music, Chronic Pain Records, Flipping Vintage, Ani Rock, Bay Bloor Radio, Bay Street Video, Creats, Extended Play, Jeremy Nusinowitz, Luke’s Records, Press Vinyl Café, Resolute Records, Dead Dog Records (all locations), Play De Record, Pop Music
Vancouver, BC: Dandelion Records, Greenhorn Café, Hit Man Records
Montreal, QC: Musicotheque, Sonik, Centre Hi Fi, Cheap Thrills, Le Vacarme, Bbam! Gallery, Toy Wars.
Buy/order your copy of EmUrgency! on vinyl here EmUrgency! is available at these national retailers:
Fast-budding Nigerian artist Omaye’s single “Tell Them” arrives with assurance that usually takes artists a few releases to earn. He keeps it tight, too. The track runs 2 minutes and 17 seconds, and it uses every second with purpose. In a lane where bigger often gets mistaken for better, Omaye shows how far a clear idea can travel when the writing and performance stay focused.
“Tell Them” plays like a self-empowerment chant built from a hardened, never-say-never mindset. The message is straightforward: put in the work, stay locked in, and trust destiny to meet you halfway. Omaye delivers it with a calm steadiness, the sort of quiet confidence that suggests he already sees the finish line. You can hear the belief that his moment is on schedule, and that nothing is going to shake him off course.
The sound matches that mindset. Omaye’s Afrobeats foundation gives the record its swing, while gurgling Amapiano synths bubble underneath and add a subtle lift. The production stays clean and restrained, leaving plenty of air for the vocal. Omaye’s delivery is crisp and polished, gliding over the beat with clarity. He never rushes the pocket. Each note feels chosen, each inflection considered, as if he’s more interested in landing the feeling than showing off technique.
What makes “Tell Them” linger is its emotional balance. It’s catchy and undeniably infectious, yet it carries weight. The hook sticks because the sentiment does, and the track rewards replay for more than its bounce. Omaye isn’t reaching for drama or putting on a persona. He’s capturing a mindset shaped by struggle, resilience, and self-belief, then letting that honesty do the heavy lifting. By the time the song ends, the confidence feels earned rather than advertised.
With “Tell Them,” Omaye comes off as a storyteller who knows what he wants to say and how to say it. The track reads as proof that he has the tools to connect with fans of Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Hip-Hop alike, and to do it without diluting his voice. The direction is clear. The hunger is right there in the phrasing.
Now streaming on Apple Music, “Tell Them” lands as a statement of intent and a clean introduction for anyone meeting him for the first time. If this single is a preview, the question around Omaye’s rise is timing, not possibility. Time feels like the only gap between him and the next level.
The release is also a milestone: “Tell Them” is Omaye’s first professionally recorded single, and it sets the stage for his upcoming EP “17EEN,” which is close on the horizon. Keep the name Omaye in your head. You’re going to hear it again.
IurisEkero has always had that producer aura where every synth feels like it’s holding hands with your feelings. On AURA, that instinct expands into cinematic storytelling. He even marked the release with a sunset ceremony at the base of the Andes, like he was unlocking a secret level in a music RPG. You can’t fake that kind of commitment. It gives the album a clear vibe: this is meant to be lived, not treated like something you leave running in the background.
He stays in a contemporary pop lane, polished but heartfelt, digital yet soft around the edges. The textures are warm. The vocal layers feel like a hug. And there’s a sense that each song stands as its own emotional chapter. The point is mood-building, not novelty. AURA ends up feeling like 16 different emotional passports, each stamped with a slightly different shade of hope, doubt, desire, or relief.
The album kicks off with “The Password Of My Heart,” a title that sounds cheesy until the production hits. Then it turns into a confession wrapped in shimmering synths. He moves gently, almost whisper soft, and the chorus floats in like he’s opening a door you weren’t sure you should walk through. It’s a smart opener because it sets the standard early: sweetness, yes, but with detail and control.
“Didn’t See You Today” brings the jolt. It’s dance pop in full gear, bright, jumpy, and built around a beat that sounds designed to rescue someone from a bad mood. The female vocals glide across the instrumental with precision, as if they arrived already locked into the same emotional tempo. The track is glossy, but it keeps the album’s softness intact, the warmth never drains out.
In the middle, “Aura” sits like a breathing space. It’s modern pop with emotional density, yet airy enough that you can drift with it. This is the one you play while staring at something far away, pretending you’re in a movie even if you’re just sitting on a bus. The hook doesn’t have to shout. The feeling does the work.
The crown jewel is “We Are All In One,” the single that has already pushed past 222k streams on Spotify. The appeal is immediate. The lyrics read like a sunrise pep talk from your favorite person:
“Woke up dreaming. Sky is clear, got the world beneath my feet…”
“Every moment, every glance feels like magic.”
“You’re my fire, my best friend.”
It’s warm, melodic, and sweet, and it carries an electronic bounce that keeps it from getting too soft. Romantic, yes, but it avoids the clingy tone that can flatten songs like this. It lifts you up without turning into a self-help poster. This is the track for the walk home after a long day, the moment you need a reminder that life can still glow.
The deeper cuts give the album its emotional spine. “Even Miracles Take a Little Time” and “Invisible Gravity” lean into introspection with an almost therapeutic honesty. Then he pivots into higher energy with “Let’s Ignite the Night” and “Cut Loose,” tracks that feel like the soundtrack to the moment you decide to stop overthinking everything. The shifts don’t feel random. They read like a real emotional arc, the way a night out can start with doubt and end with release.
As the album closes with “Don’t Get Your Hopes Up,” he returns to vulnerability, the real kind, not the Instagram caption version. The yin and yang in his music stays front and center, joy alongside uncertainty, light alongside shadow. That duality is what makes AURA feel human.
And that Andes launch seals the whole concept. He turned an album into a communal moment. As the sun dropped, each track played like a ritual chapter, a shared breath between strangers. It transformed AURA from a playlist into a lived memory. Artists talk about unity. Here, he actually staged it.
If you want more than background music, AURA is a recommendation. Each track is layered with feeling, melody, and energy that makes you hit replay before the last note fades. Stream it, share it.
Katika wimbo wao mpya wenye mchangamsho “Play Your Clarinet!”, Into the Blood wanaunganisha midundo ya kielektroniki inayoshika kwa urahisi na mgeuko wa kusisimua: solo la klaneti lenye mionjo ya jazz kutoka kwa Peter Fuglsang. Uchezaji wake unaongeza mguso wa uchezaji wa moja kwa moja unaokamilisha msingi wa kidijitali wa wimbo huu, na kuunda tukio la kipekee kabisa la kusikiliza.
Wimbo huu utazinduliwa kimataifa tarehe 22 Novemba katika lugha 11 tofauti—ikiwemo Kiswahili, Kifaransa, Kiingereza na Kichina n.k.—pamoja na toleo lisilo na sauti za kuimba.
Jiunge nasi katika safari ya kimataifa Acha “Play Your Clarinet!” ikupeleke kuvuka mipaka, sauti na tamaduni. Wimbo mmoja. Lugha kumi na moja. Utasikika kwenye majukwaa yote makubwa ya kusikiliza muziki mtandaoni, na video za maneno ya wimbo zitapatikana kwenye YouTube. Jifunge mkanda na ufurahie safari!
Kuhusu Into the Blood Duo la Into the Blood—Jens Brygmann (sauti za kuimba na ngoma za kidijitali) na Carsten Bo Andersen (kinanda na sintesa)—imekuwa ikifanya kazi tangu mwaka 2016. Muziki wao umekuwa ukipigwa kwenye vituo mbalimbali vya redio duniani, vikiwemo vya Uingereza, Australia na Ufaransa.
Toleo la asili la “Play Your Clarinet!” pia linapatikana kwenye rekodi ya vinili ya inchi 12 kama sehemu ya mradi wao mkubwa wa Destination 11, unaojumuisha video ya muziki ya dakika 11. Video hiyo imewahi kuonyeshwa katika matamasha mbalimbali ya kimataifa ya filamu fupi, na hadi sasa tayari imeshinda tuzo mbili nchini India, kufikia hatua ya fainali kwenye East Village New York Film Festival na Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival, nusu fainali kwenye Seattle Film Festival na robo fainali kwenye Synergy Film Festival huko Los Angeles.
Mradi wa Destination 11 umefadhiliwa na White City Consulting na Custom Coaching.