Kingston, Jamaica – As a part of a massive promotional campaign to be launched by Irish and Chin, the soulful Reggae singer Etana will shoot a video for her riveting new single “August Town.” The video, which is one of three planned in November, will be filmed on Wednesday, November 4 in August Town, Jamaica to much fanfare.
Over the past month, the song “August Town” has been heating up Caribbean radio and faring exceptionally well in the UK and Europe. The incredible buzz that the song has generated was a driving force behind shooting the video. In “August Town,” Etana delivers piercing social commentary — detailing a recent incident in her community that went from festive and merry to horrific in a split second. Etana flawlessly croons of police involvement that resulted in excessive and unnecessary force. Like none of Etana’s other music, “August Town” is built over a raw dubwise track – a style heavy on drum, bass and dub effects with very sparse rhythm.
To capture the “rawness” of the single, Etana pegged popular music video director Winston “Tyson” Mayhew for the video project. Credited for his style of rough, hardcore videos like Busy Signal’s “These are the Days” and “Jail,” along with Morgan Heritage’s “Nothing to Smile About” and others, Mayhew was the perfect person to bring the song “August Town” to life.
August Town itself will serve as an ideal backdrop for the video. It will feature a gripping reenactment of the song’s lyrics, depicting August Town in its realest form. Ultimately, the “August Town” video will expose the beauty and rawness of August Town, played out through the eyes of Etana. From the town’s unmistakable scenic, naturally beautiful shots to hardcore elements, Mayhew will display the communities good and bad times. Members of the August Town community will be featured through out the video, as well as a few special guests.
“I especially want this video to help bring August Town back to what it once was, a peaceful place,” says Etana with passion. “This video will speak to the people of August Town and all Garrison communities.”
Fans will have a chance to see another side of Etana. The singer will be featured in a homegrown environment…..like she has never been seen before. Overall, the video will capture the real Etana as a person, rather than an artist. “I think that showing Etana in a different light will truly be one of this video’s major highlights,” says Winston “Tyson” Mayhew.
The videos that will follow “August Town” include “Free” and “Happy Heart.” These three songs were strategically selected by Irish and Chin and Etana, as they explore Etana’s diversity as an artist. While “August Town” falls under social commentary, “Free” and “Happy Heart” expose an emotional and feminine side of Etana respectively. “Free” will be shot by JayWil on November 10 and “Happy Heart’s” production will take place after Etana’s promotional tour in London later this month.
