We've written about Luke Beling before - he is a songwriter and performer who grew up on South Africa's Sunshine Coast, who has since relocated to the island of Hawaii. His passion for folk music is inextricably linked with an abiding love of his home country's culture, and his latest track "My African Dream" is a perfect example of that musical synergy.
The final song from his upcoming EP "Mzansi Afrika" is about Lesotho, the mountain kingdom, AIDS capital of the world, and presents a stripped back, pure indie-folk approach to this complicated narrative—touching on the age-old conversation between humankind and the natural world that sustains it. By paying homage to the people of Sotho, "My African Dream" inhabits that breathless space between tradition and legend, painting a vibrant and colorful scene with layers of acoustic guitar, harmonium, and a diverse collection of vocal performances. Luke Beling artfully blends these touch-points of South Africa's cultural heritage into a sonic poem about deep pockets of hope, whispers of joy blown in by a wild wind. "My African Dream" is his fittingly beautiful and deeply resonant love letter to a corner of the world that is as unique as it is unspoiled by the hand of modern consumerism.
"My African Dream" is my tribute to The Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, Africa's gem: a land ravaged by AIDS, a land reaching into the clouds, touching the feet of God. — Luke Beling
When the trees grow slim with the sunlight
And the beasts stand straight for a fist fight
Then turn for the hills of your homeland
Where the stars are the ghosts of the damned
And this river this hollow-eyed skeleton
He cries with death around the edge of him
Turns muscle and bone into miracle
Water to wine until
Drink my child drink your fill
Drink it wild drink until
Your waters run your waters run
Visit Luke Beling on Instagram.