New York-based Ugandan/Rwandan singer Somi recently released the silky music video for "Ginger Me Slowly," her latest single off last year's The Lagos Music Salon LP. Shot by South African director Kyle Lewis in Cape Town, the black-and-white visuals feature profile shots of Somi asking her lover for romance and warmth while showing the couple united in a hug, soft keys and drums supporting them. Speaking via e-mail with Okayafrica, Somi explains:
"I heard the expression "to ginger someone" when I first got to Lagos, Nigeria a few years ago. It means to spice someone up in order to make them feel good. Being a love song, I wanted the video for "Ginger Me Slowly" to feel both intimate and artful. I also wanted to do it in a non-literal way that made one think about how nuance hides in minimalism. The song "Ginger Me Slowly" is about dreaming of a big and expressive kind of love, but it's also about learning to appreciate the simple yet meaningful declarations of that love. I decided to go with South African director Kyle Lewis' black & white treatment, [which] seemed to evoke all of those things... I love that each shot feels like it could be a photograph as well. The romantic in me also wanted to have a "love interest" in the video. Thankfully, South African actor & model Ezra Mabengeza (who is also New York-based) happened to be in Cape Town at the time and was able to lend his good looks to the cause."
Watch the video for "Ginger Me Slowly," which debuted on South African TV channel Msanzi Magic last week and featured on BET's show Being Mary Jane last night, below. Somi's currently on a North American tour, see her full dates over at her website. The singer will also be playing in Zimbabwe soon as part of the Harare International Festival of the Arts (April 28 - May 3). The Lagos Music Salon is out now on OKeh Records.