Sampa The Great releases the video for ‘Black Girl Magik’, her first music video to date. A standout track taken from her latest album “Birds and the BEE9”, the song sees her reflect on the contribution and strength of black women, often unappreciated and overlooked, the track serves as a celebration of black womanhood, with Sampa’s flow set against a loosely-built, pared-back beat, steady drums and gently-played melodies.

Sampa explains “This song was written for my younger sister Mwanje. I often wondered what Mwanje saw when she looked back at herself in the mirror. We’re surrounded by beauty standards that we cannot fulfil as they’re not made with us in mind. In this video I wanted to depict something beautiful, strong, and royal – all that she embodies. Mwanje features in the video and continues to be a source of my inspiration and through my artistry, I hope to create a path for her.”

The video is directed by Sanjay De Silva, who added “Black Girl Magik is the story of two young girl’s metaphorical rite of passage to becoming strong black women. Sampa and I wanted to create a video that embodied the strength, wisdom and beauty of black women but also highlighted the importance of educating the younger generations.”

Sampa’s “Birds and the BEE9” was released in November 2017 to critical acclaim and marked another high point in the career of Sampa Tembo, as recently recognised by the prestigious Australian Music Prize, who named it the Best Album Of 2017. Prevailing over 400 eligible albums, voted on by a panel of music industry figures, journalists and other artists, the judges praised “BEE9” for having “an openness to the future… using hip hop and soul to connect and hit the ground gunning”

It is a record that is both deeply personal and outward-looking, it’s points of reference are poised between her closely-held roots and an internationally-minded musical outlook, carrying her identity through the many-sided musical influences which she draws from. An album in which “categories dissolve around her” (The Observer) – spanning spiritually-minded gospel and chants to neo-soul and hip-hop, it’s intertwined with a clearly-defined, no-holds-barred political outlook, and speaks a message of healing after her own experiences of hurt and pain.

Having previously supported the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat, Joey Badda$$, Ibeyi and Little Simz in their live shows, Sampa will be touring “The BEE9 Experience” live throughout 2018

Sampa The Great Tour Dates:
19th April – The Lair @ Metro Theatre, Sydney – AU
21st April – The Night Cat, Melbourne – AU [SOLD OUT]
22nd April (Matinée) – The Night Cat, Melbourne – AU
4th August – Visions Festival, London – GB
Info / tickets