[WATCH] Flores highlights the beauty of her roots / Brown
Brown skin, Brown Love, we Brown People.
Having lived in Norway for the past ten years, we are more than happy to embrace Mexican-American songstress Flores under our Scandi Soul umbrella, and her latest single, Brown, is one we’ll hold very tightly.
Brown, an R&B/soul single, has been locked on rewind since our first listen as she brings a message of pride to the beautiful complexion. It reminds us of artists such as India.Arie (Brown Skin), Beyonce (Brown Skin Girl), and Richie Spice – (Brown Skin) who have all previously hailed the beauty of the skin tone. For us, instilling positivity for people of colour can never be said or sung enough.
Flores — who identifies as Mexican and indigenous – pays homage to her roots with lyrics tender, honest and deep in cultural and political references. We had to include the lyrics below. In an age of increasing division, ignorance and racism the single is a poetic and soulful announcement of self-pride, flawlessly produced. The lyrics and the beat (which is utterly delicious) mean this song will resonate long after it finishes.
que bonita morena mijita linda, boriqua aqui for you baby
I need all my ladies
zapatistas Imma ride with you
liberdad we gonʼ die for you
abuela in ya soul
built that backbone
loot the land they stole
And when they ask you where you people come from
when they ask you where you people come from
16,000 years we here
valleys stained of blood and tears
mexica let em know
this the land weʼve sewn
laid the seeds that grow
Brown skin
Brown Love
we Brown People
with Brown Issues
Brown skin
Brown Love
we Proud People with Brown Issues
San Antonio que llora
no justicia pa los pobres
no llores mijito
stop taking my people
la guerilla Imma ride with you
mi bandera we gon die for you
abuela in my soul
need that revolucion
take back the land they stole
So when they ask you where you people come from
when they ask you where you people come from
16,000 years we here
valleys stained of blood and tears
mexica let em know
this the land weʼve sewn
laid the seeds that grow
Brown skin
Brown Love
we Brown People
with Brown Issues
Brown skin
Brown Love
we Proud People with Brown Issues
fuck i c e
mi gente ride w me
call CBP we out with no I.D
and if you catch us at the borderline
no tengo miedo, we gonʼ be alright
Brown people
brown love
brown skin
brown trust
brown hurt
brown worth
eating off that
brown earth.
Brown, taken from Flores’s latest Album – The Lives They Left, may honour her Latino roots, however, we all can appreciate and learn from her words. Stunning!
