Digging Roots' "AK-47" Calls for Awareness to Gun Violence in New Video and Summer Tour
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Digging Roots has an answer to the gun violence plaguing the world today: more love, more truth, more music. “I think we can use the word ‘epidemic’ when it comes to gun violence in society today,” says singer ShoShona Kish, whose powerful and inspirational new video AK-47 calls for an end to violence and oppression through love and understanding.
The new video is already creating an instant buzz with its catchy psyc-blues soul sound and empowering messages of ending the violence paradigm through peace and courage…and good music.
“The song 'AK-47' is very personal and emotional for us. Especially in the wake of the recent horrific events in Orlando this last week,” says Raven Kanatakta, one of North America’s finest guitar slingers and the second half of Digging Roots.
The video for "AK-47" was produced by media artist and musician Doug Bedard (aka Plex), whose vision of the song runs the gamut from technicolor dreamscapes and bursting flowers to benevolent warriors adrift in a landscape of grenades and soldiers. The clip also features Sarain Carson-Fox, who burst onto the Canadian media scene as the host of VICEland’s controversial documentary Cut Off following Justin Trudeau’s recent visit to Shoal Lake 40.
As with any epidemic or public health crisis, the appropriate next step is to design an intervention to stop the spread of the disease. This new song is a metaphoric call to arms by Digging Roots; the intervention has begun and they want everyone to join them in a violence-free world, chanting the AK-47 anthem of “Nizoogide’e, Nizoogide’e.”
“There’s an Anishinabek word in the chant at the end of the song that distils it all for me,” says ShoShona. Nizoogide’e means “My heart is a stronghold.”
“'AK-47' is about opening fire on hate, oppression and violence, both lateral and physical. Not with bullets and guns but with the full force of love. Cynics might say that we’re naive but to me it’s the only rational way forward. This song is a proposition that its time to stop oppression and the violence against one another, against ourselves and against the land.”
The song "AK-47" is available on iTunes. Enjoy the new single and crank up the entire For The Light album!
Watch: Digging Roots - "AK-47"
Digging Roots is on tour across Canada this summer. Check out the remaining summer tour dates:
July 23, 2016 - Great Northern Arts Festival, Inuvik, NT
August 4, 2016 - Montreal First Peoples Festival, Montréal, QC
August 5-7, 2016 - Edmonton Folk Festival, Edmonton, AB
August 10, 2016 - TBA, Winnipeg, MB
August 19-21, 2016 - Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival, Salmon Arm, BC
For the most complete up-t0-date tour dates please visit diggingrootsmusic.com/tour
