Kami Awori Reflect on Loss, Racism, and Police Brutality in the ‘Lunation’ EP

Kami Awori, formerly known as CaramelBrown, are a Paris-based duo comprised of pianist-turned-producer Karami and singer-songwriter Awori.

The Afro-R&B outfit’s latest release, the Lunation EP, reflects on the many deaths at the hands of American police in the past years, over a blend of West African samples and hazy beat work.

“It’s a project we're gonna offer as a free download because it’s both a tribute & a contribution to the Black Lives Matter movement,” Kami Awori tells Okayafrica. “Our songs were directly inspired by violent cases of police brutality. So naturally our goal is to share their political & spiritual messages with as many people as possible.”

Stream our premiere of the 3-song EP below and read Kami Awori’s Lunation 'manifesto' underneath.

"Lunation Manifesto

Aiyana Jones. Tamir Rice. Darnisha Harris. Trayvon Martin. Mike Brown. Tyisha Miller. Youths aged 7 to 19 years old, killed without valid reason by American police forces.

Nina Simone once said: “How can one be an artist and not reflect the times?” A statement that resonates louder every time a police brutality case comes up. And since time ceased healing wounds because the names keep multiplying, old scars can’t help reopening over & over again.

It’s in this vein that Lunation was created. A few moons away from the dawn of Black History Month, KAMI AWORI reflected on the notion of loss, or rather, the notion of a parent having lost their child under the watch of a justice system biased by racism. Lunation is a nostalgic tale of vulnerability, hope, desperation, spirituality and protest." —Kami Awori