Out of pain and trauma, art is born! Out of the celebration of ourstory and the beauty of our past, art is born! As an African descent whose ancestors were stolen and enslaved by the horrors of white supremacy, forced to build this country, I know pain. Before Africans were raped and tortured in the Americas, racist white people began the physical and cultural genocide against the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. The enslaved Africans and Indigenous peoples unified against their common oppressors on many levels. They cohabitated and intermarried, and even formed tribes such as the Seminoles in Florida. I can look to my own great-grandmother Clara Amanda and see that she’s of both African and First Nations heritage.
I needed to put this all into perspective because it’s why I feel like the new LIONOKA album Tides of Triumph is one of the most important Black Metal/Folk records made in recent times. It’s not because of pain, it’s because it’s a celebration of the story of the Pasqua-Yaqui tribe, sonically and lyrically. From the very first song, “Many Faces of the Great Spirit,” you’ll realize you’re in for a very special and sincere ride. I love how at times beautiful sonic texture will be weaved with a totally scathing texture. The instrumentation that’s used to create Tides of Triumph is so spot on that it leaves me almost speechless. The opening of “The Way of Divine Destinies” makes me think about the vast lands that were stolen from Yaqui peoples, but out of this sorrow comes a really moving song that in its own way very uplifting. This album wasn’t created to fit into a scene, this album was manifested because of the eternal creative light that is burning inside of its creator. We are born out of pain, but it’s up to us to celebrate our spirit and not let anything or anyone dim our light! I want to salute LIONOKA for sharing with the world his vision of Tides of Triumph, because it’s a victory for us all. Thank you. This exceptional offering comes out today digitally via Old Mill Productions – vinyl and tapes will drop this summer!
All honour, dedication, and discipline towards Ultimate Unification with the Great Spirit.
– Lionoka
