Paua‘s unique and earthy sound is a distinct blend of all the sweet elements of reggae, soul, and funk. Their tracks are a groovy and eclectic melting pot of varying cultural and musical influences, which result in catchy, high-energy and intriguing music that caters for the mind, body, heart, and soul.
The new music video for their compelling track Promises and Lies tells a confronting and powerful story of the dispossession of indigenous peoples, and the importance of their connection to the land and their roots.
Brisbane seven-piece Paua have released a compelling and powerful new music video for their thought-provoking track Promises and Lies.
Residing in Brisbane, Paua is a seven-piece band with diverse multicultural backgrounds, including Maori heritage from Aotearoa, as well as members hailing from Australia and the Philippines. Despite their varying cultural and musical backgrounds, they were all connected through their mutual love of reggae music.
Promises and Lies is a thought-provoking track that echoes the injustices of indigenous peoples, it conveys the deep desire of people from any land to never lose touch with their heritage, their roots, despite their dispossession. Paua, together with Ben from Luminare Media, aimed to inject these home truths into the music video for the song.
“The apprehensive topic of Indigenous oppression is one that haunts many cultures across this planet. How do you compact that into a music video? By simplifying the recipe. Main ingredient: Roots. And we’re not talking yams or vegetables, plants or trees, we’re talking what feels like home, that which binds us to our family, our culture, our land.
We go back, we always do, whether it’s physically, spiritually or mentally. There’s not a lot this world can take from us if we are firmly grounded by our roots.”
Filmed both in Brisbane city and in rural Queensland, the video further evokes the compelling story that the song tells, of the stolen lands of the indigenous peoples of many lands, and the struggles that they face in modern society.
The video follows the journey of a young boy from the country, beginning in his homeland where he enjoys a simplistic and happy life, connected to nature and his roots. The boy plays with toys that tell a powerful and confronting story of the land being taken by soldiers, as the native people suffer.
The boy’s happiness in the countryside is contrasted with his confusion in the cityscape; he feels lost in the concrete jungle, struggling to resonate with the schooling system, as he reminisces on simpler times in the countryside.
“Certain members of the band create nostalgia for the boy. Back on his farm, he recalls these faces. Who are you? I know you? He reflects and ponders his old life and all he knows, is that these familiar faces, made him miss home even more. Gradually, he begins the journey back to his motherland.”
Watch the new video above.
