Launching on Nataal today, Ethiopian-French musician Iri Di releases her latest music video, Late Night Buna, which celebrates Ethiopia as the birthplace of coffee. Shot in Addis Ababa and directed by Michiel Robberecht, the video features a poem and two songs from Iri Di’s recently released debut EP ‘24’. The short film opens with vocal hums that gradually build up in texture and melodies. We are welcomed with the sight of Iri Di dressed in a rose-coloured gown, illuminated by the flames of a fire pit which is said to signify the smoke of thousands of small fires from people roasting their beloved “buna.”

Transitioning from night to day with her spoken words, we are placed in the empty Merkato market before the bustle of trading descends. Merkato is known to be the biggest open market in Africa and the most crowded place in the country but at this moment it is beautifully still. With rhythmic drums maintaining the pace throughout, the market gradually springs to life as sellers prepare their coffee beans to be shipped and sold.

“Late Night Buna takes us on a soothing vocal trip as a way to calm the listeners down, as one would when falling asleep,” Iri Di explains. “I wish for this work to deconstruct the preconceived images and sounds one has regarding Ethiopia. I want to refresh people’s minds and show the face of a modern Ethiopia while preserving its mystical essence.”

Robberecht is known for his transcendent style that oscillates between the fictional and real. Sharing his thoughts on the vision for the film, the Belgian director says: “I wanted to bring something more than just a music video that would accompany the songs. I wanted to take the viewers on a trip through nocturnal Addis Ababa. It’s this fascinating clash between the new and the modern of the city with the pride of the ancient traditions like the coffee ceremony, that we wanted to portray in a fresh way… The video is an ode to the city and it’s coffee, that enchants and takes us as a ghost through day and night with unstoppable energy.”

Iri Di’s eight-track EP touches on topics ranging from love to ancestral connections, all told through the singer’s soothing, polyphonic singing and afro rhythms. As a result of her multi-origin background, the self-taught musician combines the sound of west and north Africa with vocals in four languages to “explore the ties between the intimate and universal, the organic and digital.” Whether it is musing over Ethiopia’s black gold (coffee) or welcoming the early morning rain (Iri means sound of rain), there is a deep level of introspection stirred into her mesmerising music.

Iri Di’s EP 24 is out now. Find it here.

Words Blessing Borode

Music and poem Iri Di
Direction, film and editing Michiel Robberecht
Production and art direction Charles Rosendaal
Costume Kunjina Tesfaye and Anna Getaneh
Singers: Ato Kasa Habete Weled & Ato Ayelaw Selemon
Thanks to Yonas Tadesse, Nebiyu Bekele, Maraki Uyliwa Afewerke, Team Ahadu, Fili Coffee and The Buna Merchants of Merkato

Published on 17/01/2021