The Land of Enchantment has always had a special place in my heart ever since I had the opportunity to live there a few years ago. The state of New Mexico adopted the nickname because of it's scenic beauty and rich history. The place is filled with a rich culture blending multiple influences and ethnicities into it's own unique culture that is hard to find anywhere else in the country. The open land, the strong Native American influence, the unique twist to food, arts, music and culture all make NM a place that has left a long lasting impression on me and my music. So when I though of where I wanted to film the video for the song Thunder & Lightning I could only think of NM.
This specific song is actually one of two songs from the EP that were recorded in NM. I recorded this song some time ago at Full Grown Studios in Albuquerque. Full Grown was the home base for NM's classic reggae band Mystic Vision. A few weeks ago I reached out to Native American film producer Jonathan Sims and told him about the project and he agreed to direct the video. I arrived in NM during Indian Market and made my way to Santa Fe to check the Reggae Session at The Underground run by my Bredren Don Martin of Brotherhood Sound System. The whole downtown area was full of people late into the night.
Photo Courtesy of Jonathan Sims. No Reservations Productions. Albuquerque, NM. Copyright 2013.
The next day I met Jonathan Sims and we began filming that morning after stopping for a quick bite in Albuquerque at Annapurna's. We began filming at the red rock canyon near La Bajada on I-25 by the Cochiti Pueblo exit. The scenery there was beautiful and played perfectly into the theme of the song. At first it was a little bright but within a few minutes of being there several strong clouds rolled in that contrasted perfectly with the bright red canyon formations. After shooting there for some time we made our way back into Albuquerque and met up with Ras Elijah Tafari, a good friend and local Rastafarian painter who has made a strong mark on the unique world of Rastafarian artwork.
He told me about a mural he had recently painted near Central and Yale. When we pulled up to the parking lot we knew it was a perfect backdrop for the video shoot. The central point of the mural is a painting of H.I.M. Haile Selassie. The whole painting is very colorful with rich colors contrasting off the dark background. After moving a few vehicles we began filming. By this time the desert heat was kicking in and the temperature was well into the high 90's but we survived through it and even drew a few onlookers despite the heat. We took a break after filming at Fey's across from the university. After some much needed hydration we stopped filming until the sun started to go down.
Photo Courtesy of Jonathan Sims. No Reservations Productions. Albuquerque, NM. Copyright 2013.
The last daytime shoot was later that evening in the downtown area near Coal and 3rd at an alley that seems to go on forever. The lighting was prefect during this time and we shot there as well as the bridge overlooking the railway station before we had to make our way to the sound check at Low Spirits. The show that evening was jam packed with some great NM Reggae artists.
The show began with Walatowa Massive delivering a strong performance backed by Selectah Philos, althought the sound gave the them some problems throughout their set. They were followed by the 2Bers who came through with a great performance. They set the stage for Dre Z and The Root One band who tore the place down. It was a hard act to follow but I came on stage next and performed my set. Jonathan and his crew filmed throughout the performance. The crowd was very responsive and it was great to be on stage in NM once again. After my performance the Boomroots Collective took the stage to finish off the night in a high energy fashion as they ran through a great set from their newly released EP titled Ceremony Sessions.
The video for Thunder & Lightning is the sophomore video from the EP Life is for Living. The first video, No Man Stranded, has received enormous support from viewers all over the world and continues to harvest new listeners. Thunder & Lighting is currently in post production and will be ready to be released in the upcoming weeks. The video will be officially released at www.sgtremo.com and the Sgt Remo Music youtube page. A million thanks go out to Jonathan Sims and his crew, Ras Elijah Tafari and family, Mister Kali & the Boomroots Collective, Walatowa Massive, Dre Z and Root One, Selectah Philos as well as everyone who took the time to be part of this production.
Bless!
Remo
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