Before a show, I had in the central north island a man of notoriety came to the whare (house) where we were staying to introduce himself and his whanau (family). This man will remain nameless. We sat talking for hours in a quiet corner while everyone around us partied. We spoke about everything from politics, history, religion, and prophecies.
We finally then proceeded to discuss the state of indigenous peoples around the world and how we are losing those ancient teachings and ways of life, and once they are gone they are gone. He then said something to me that resonated enough with me that I named my album and wrote songs about it. He said…
“ these things happen throughout history and cultures will come and go, but when everyone and everything around the world is said and done, we as Maori claim the divine femanine spirit which carries these ancient connections with the universe, so it really doesn’t matter if they take all our land or destroy world cultures, when those peoples want to learn & heal again in future times they can come to us, we the people of Aotearoa are the keepers of the flame”
This album is a journey, an experience I want to take the listener through from start to finish. It’s a reggae roots album that is meditative, and introspective and will definitely test the comfort zones of many with the words and unique soundscapes. With dotted intros, interludes, and outros the album is meant to feel like a movie taking you from one thought experience to the next. 12 tracks (plus two remixes) of roots not for the faint-hearted or someone looking for songs to play at your family BBQ but yet played in a quiet moment set aside to enjoy music art.
“Across Keepers of The Flame, Israel Starr pays homage to the rich traditions of Jamaican reggae, as filtered through a worldview and perspective that could only come from Aotearoa.”
– Martyn Pepperell
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LINK WITH ISRAEL STARR
ABOUT ISRAEL STARR
Israel Starr is 2x Gold artist while being 100% independent with his own label ‘BlessUp Music’ Israel is also a recipient of the ‘Best Roots Artist’ at the Vodafone NZ Music Awards and 2x Winner of Best Reggae Album at the WMM Awards.
Having been raised surrounded by all things Reggae and base culture; it’s only natural that Israel Starr has become an important part of Aotearoa’s ever-growing Reggae, Dub, Dancehall and Hip-Hop scenes. Son of Aotearoa Legend ‘The Mighty Asterix’, Israel has learnt from the best!
‘Israel’ (his given middle name)… and ‘Starr’ (short for Rasta). Israel credits his musical talents to his upbringing in the ‘Twelve Tribes of Israel’ Rasta community. Growing up in the Twelve Tribes meant that he had the opportunity to learn from the best reggae talents, including Che Fu, Chong Nee, Herbs and his father. Also growing up around authentic sound system culture Israel has a deep knowledge of all music and he has now become the first choice of the best Reggae selectors and DJs in NZ.
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