Wik and Solomon Island rapper and trailblazer Ziggy Ramo returns with new single Banamba from his forthcoming album ‘Human?’ due for release later this year.
Following on from his highly lauded 2023 sophomore album ‘Sugar Coated Lies’, Ziggy Ramo’s artistry has always served as a catalyst for change and a voice for the oppressed, seeing him deliver neglected truths by unpacking his own intergenerational trauma as the son of an Aboriginal and Solomon Islander father. Set for release exactly one year after his ‘Sugar Coated Lies’ on January 26th, Banamba serves to honour those who have fought tirelessly for change on a date they are so often forgotten.
How long will we play pretend?
All things they must come to an end
We sell lies that we have to defend
One day we will pay the rent
Opening with Aboriginal leader King Burraga’s 1933 address to the King calling for representation in Federal Parliament and the right to live for Indigenous Australians, it is a bitter reminder of how far we still have left to go in 2024. Banamba is accompanied by a music video bringing us face-to-face with confronting protest footage from Australia’s rewritten past.
Ziggy shares, “Banamba means change, from the Birri Gubba language. During a studiosession in 2021, Guyala Bayles shared the word with me and from conversation the song tookshape. Banamba acknowledges the cost of Blak resilience. This video is dedicated to all people who have fought to make a difference for our communities. It’s a celebration of those brave enough to stop oppressive forces.”
“Archival footage acts as a collage of Blak resistance: The 1965 Freedom Rides, 67Referendum, The Tent Embassy, Vincent Lingarri, Charlie Perkins … protest after protest. We might go about it in different ways, and not always agree about the best path to take – but ultimately we all want change. May we never lose sight of our humanity. A banamba is coming.”
Winning FBi Album of the Year for both his 2020 debut ‘Black Thoughts’ and 2023’s ‘Sugar Coated Lies’, Ziggy Ramo continues to floor the industry with his vital and powerful messages, commanding the attention of listeners and commentators around the country. A true visionary, Ziggy Ramo draws upon his lived experiences to offer a vulnerable insight into the effects of settler colonialism and institutional racism, grappling with what it means to live on stolen land.
The underlying themes of these albums have been mirrored on the small screen, with Ziggy making his acting and composer debut, starring and scoring in the Stan original series Black Snow, produced by Goalpost Pictures. Black Snow is a gripping six-part mystery drama set in North Queensland, with deep ties to the Australian South Sea Islander community.
‘Sugar Coated Lies’ was Feature Album on triple j and RTRFM, Album of the Week on FBi Radio, took home the Record of the Year prize at the FBi SMAC Awards, and made the Best Albums of the Year lists for Rolling Stone and Happy Mag.
A visionary in all areas of his art, Ziggy’s rendition of Lauryn Hill’s Doo Wop (That Thing) featuring icon Christine Anu floored the triple j Like A Version studio, before sharing the mic with Wergaia/Wemba Wemba woman Alice Skye for their release Sugar Coated Lies.
An unstoppable creative force, Ramo is currently in the midst of writing his debut book ‘Human?’ – a reflection on his personal experiences and how they connect to history, with an accompanying album and exhibition to be unveiled in 2024.
Photo credit: Vanessa Swederus
Thanks to Morse Code Communications
