New Video: Mapei / Orphan

Mapei may have been born in Rhode Island USA, but since moving to Sweden as a teenager this country is now her home.

Stockholm is reflected in Mapei’s new video/song Orphan which shows the contrast between the opulence of Berns Salonger (a grand hotel and music venue dating from the 1860s) with shots of mostly non-typical Nordic people suffering on the street – and being looked down on by passers by.

Speaking to Vogue magazine Mapei says of the experiences she put into the video “As soon as I arrived to Sweden as a kid, I felt that I was different.”

“I felt the curiosity from other students as well as teachers. I was now representing people with a darker shade, from head to toe. I promised myself not to back down. I was proud of my skin. The trials and tribulations I had to go through did not make me bitter. Plenty of immigrants view Sweden as their home. We’re all hard workers, fighting for the right to be any colour in Sweden without discrimination or judgment.”

She adds, “Even with all of this stuff, I think Sweden is perfect when it comes to plenty of things. I just wish the sun would show up more often.”

Mapei’s vocals on Orphan gives it a soulful yet strong balance, and like Danish soul singer Jonas’s recent release ‘Hvor Dit Hjerte Bor’, it’s refreshing to hear music that also reflects the current times we live in.

Source Vogue magazine