11 November 2023 - 0 Comments

Following a world premiere of her music video at SXSW Sydney 2023, Aotearoa-Sāmoan musician, actor and poet Ema I'u has released her powerful new single + video, Flower of Life.

Listen to Flower of Life HERE

Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Ema I'u (pronounced Emma ee‘u) aka Ema Barton is a performer with a powerful presence, undeniable skill as a vocalist and talent as a songwriter. It’s really no wonder that the music video for her catchy new RnB-pop single Flower of Life was selected to premiere at the 2023 SXSW Sydney Film Festival.

Set in a sci-fi dystopian future - post climate catastrophe, the video shows Aotearoa as the last inhabitable place on Earth, where a gifted prisoner (Ema I'u) escapes; seeking the repatriation of an ancestral treasure to lead the remnants of humanity to salvation. It’s a visual feast that showcases Ema’s range of talents and celebrates her roots in the South Pacific.

“The video captures the magic, mystery, universal and retro-futuristic nature of this song,” says Ema. “There are a lot of layers, symbols and metaphors threaded throughout, and to have some of my culture, aiga and the beauty of Aotearoa showcased in this story…well, I couldn’t have asked for more.”

Watch the video HERE

Made in collaboration with Director Francis Baker and a creative team of over 25 professionals, the video had a long development phase and was made with the support of NZ on Air Pasifika, and a Boosted x Moana / CNZ crowdfunding campaign.

“I’m so thankful for the support from our communities. It was hard mahi to make, and such an epic collective effort.”

Mixing contemporary and ancient sounds and concepts, Ema says both song and video are the start of her journey to connecting to her Moana roots. “This song is moving more in the direction of where I feel the birth of Ema I'u really begins. Call it woo-woo, but for this one I feel like we have evoked something ethereal and mixed it with some dense primal energy to get the body, heart, mind and soul moving. It’s a RnB pop track with some Age of Aquarius activation.”

Flower of Life follows two previously released singles from Ema I'u - Midnight Mistress and Top Shelf. All songs were worked on alongside producer Nathan Judd (Producer of the Year, Pacific Music Awards 2021) at Rageous Records Studio, as part of a NZOA New Music Development Project - and with the promise of more to come, it’s clear Ema I'u is just getting started!

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