AbiYah explains that, “Bèl Peyi is a song of celebration of our 45 year journey after political independence from the British Empire. It speaks of the beauty of our island as well as our strength as Afro-Kalinago people to be able to rise above circumstances and achieve. I wanted in a simple way to convey a strong message of unity and the need to work together to continue building our nation. There is a line that says respekte chak moun, as we move forward as a nation we must recognize the need for respect for and among citizens as well as the rights of citizens. Most importantly sonje ki moun nou ye, remember who we truly are, Waitukubuli. The further we move away from our African and indigenous Kalinago heritage the more removed we become from our true selves as Dominicans. We are now 45 and I can only hope that as a nation we begin to think and act more maturely where nation building is concerned. Happy Independence Dominica, we have come a long way, Anou Selebwe.”
Within the track various elements can be heard. The foundation of Kadans, the cowbell and tom pounds steadily while the bubbling organ and brushing guitar holds the harmonic structure. There is a dominant accordion in the chorus representing Jing Ping music from the slave plantations as well as a calabash shak shak (shaker) keeping steady rhythm which embellishes the hi hats. The track features Jervon ‘Natty Bill’ Henderson on bass, who undoubtedly has proven himself to be among the best upcoming musicians from the island. The track also features Hilroy ‘ObadYah’ Alfred on guitars and keyboard. The recording was produced , mixed and mastered at ChaYah Studios.
The track is available for streaming on YouTube and will be available on all streaming platforms on 3rd November 2023.
a nice song. only thing is the accordian is missing. should find it’s way in the mix.
“Bel Peyi”! Somebody paid you to continue the sale of Dominica? How much did they pay you? Our rivers are drying up while some on Island claim to be “environmentalists.” The Layou River is fenced off from the bridge to the estuary; Our City gutters reeks and there’s no sidewalks; there are thousands of foreigners on the Island squatting and stealing; The Roseau market surroundings is a mess on a Saturday; Thousands of our young people sit idle with no work and bleak future; The legal system only punishes the poor and Blue people; There are shortages of gas, water and electricity on a regular basis; Transportation to and from the airport increased substantially during Covid-19, although Covid-19 has gone the price hike remains. Every food item in the market is placed on a scale and balance. The country is exceedingly hard for 98% of the citizens. So tell me, where have you been living to to compose such lyrics, “Bel Peyi”? You should have written that song 🎵 in the late 60s to late 70s