This release is a way for us to share 'Our Island' beyond the song, its 60-page booklet gives full lyric translations along with artists' insights into their songs, and illustrations of the artists created from cultural elements and nature grant us a pathway to explore their cultural perspectives. With a hands-on meditation of creating your own globe, ‘Our Island’ is in your hands.
‘Our Island’ was recorded remotely from our island homes. Many of us have never met in person, we are yet to discover if we have legs. Online we shared our stories, songs, concerns and loves, usually interrupted by Sammy’s spontaneous Kabosy solos, Putad, Vaiteani & Luc’s children or our internet freezing again (even in the tropics!).
We could support each other in our concerns for our planet, we know at times these feelings are overwhelming, that’s a healthy response, but know you are not alone, there are many sharing these feelings. We are a part of a movement, a momentum for cultural change which puts our relationship to our planet at its core.
Available at our concerts, bandcamp & our website.
#1 Trans Global Music Chart 2022 Feb
Nominated - 2022 Golden Melody Awards TAIWAN - Best Indigenous Album & Album of the Year
Includes unlimited streaming of Our Island
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about
From Emnlyn
In July 2020 when the MV Wakashio ran aground on our coral reef, the hearts of all
Mauritians broke along with the tank. Sarbon means (coal), and I wrote this song thinking
of this moment when a ship changed our daily life. This event brought a lot of despair for
our lagoons, already affected by climate change and over tourism, we were seeing our
paradise burning. Sarbon is a tribute to all the people who were on the spot for months,
sewing sugarcane bags, donating their hair to absorb the oil and saving as much as
we can our precious marine park and the eastern coastline. To the fishermans and sea
lovers, to the dolphins, victims of the tragedy. It’s a song for all the creatures on land and
underwater that were mourning. The ocean is, for me, the real holy water of this world,
blessing us with oxygen, food, peacefulness and wonder. I can’t imagine my life being
away from the sea for too long. Being islanders, the ocean is the sound of our childhood,
our mother and our greatest resource.
Stop turning the holy crystal water to a water as black as coal, this is what we are
shouting out to the world.
lyrics
Originally in Creole of Mauritius
Fishermen standing on the beach
Their eyes fixing the reefs
Where a serious accident is happening
Oh, children!
Don't take out your fishing rods!
Don't come and play on the beach!
Oil is spreading in the lagoon
Let us organize ourselves!
Let us pile up dried sugar cane leaves
Tie them together and put them on the sea
To stop the oil from spreading up to the beach
Who is responsible,
when our nature is destroyed?
It's us, islanders,
who carry the pan
Here is the ship which has caused the oil slick!
This one is not a slave ship
Our island is in danger
Coal coal coal everywhere
The sacred blue water has turned as black as coal
credits
from Our Island,
track released January 28, 2022
English title — Coal
Songwriter — Emlyn
Arrangement — Tim Cole
MAURITIUS: Emlyn — Lead Vocals, Ravann, Triangle, Hand Claps, Gale, Maravann/ Kokol — Ravanne/ Kan Chan Kin — Ravanne, Bob
NATURE SOUNDS: Shorebreak Kunyung Beach, Australia
I love these women. the voices mesh together perfectly; also the world music is exceptional. I have all of their albums and they're all excellent. Give them a listen. Steve Lake
