Ladi6 – Return to Africa

-For immediate release-

LADI6 – RETURN TO AFRICA.

@RedBullNZ. #Ladi6Africa. #GivesYouWings.

Captured in a 24 minute documentary, acclaimed New Zealand musician Ladi6 returns to Africa on a journey of musical rediscovery, revisiting the places and times that inspired her 16 years ago to become a musician.

“My return to Africa was an incredible journey of self-discovery and a chance to pin point where it all began for me. It felt like home and was something that I had previously left in the background of my life,“ says Ladi6. “Returning with my family felt like it was a full circle 'aha' moment, realising a part of who I am and why I am that way. Realising that I had a lot of alone time as a teenager and that helped me to really connect with myself, and gave me an opportunity as a teen to discover myself on my own.“ says Ladi6.

When in Africa this September, Ladi6 tracked down Mama and Baba John – two people whom she forged a close friendship with when she was younger. It‘s a touching moment when Ladi6 learns that her parents helped Mama and Baba to build the house that they still live in today, many years later.

“Reconnecting with Baba and Mama John was such a joy! They played a very big role in our daily lives in Africa. It was very difficult initially for my Mum to get used to the idea that we needed to employ staff, but it also connected us into the way of life back then in Africa,“ says Ladi. “While we were on the hunt for Mama and Baba John, everything started to look very familiar to me - the feeling at the time was quite overwhelming! It felt so natural to be back in Tanzania.“

Not only was the trip full of reunions, but it was a journey of new musical exploration and creation. Ladi6 spent time meeting and jamming with local musicians in every place she visited, recreating tracks from her recent album Automatic. The final week of her trip was spent collaborating with African artists Nonku and Lavish at the Red Bull Studios Cape Town.

“Music is a very powerful tool and it’s always amazing to be a part of either creating history or just being a part of a movement,“ says Nonku. “Any differences artists may have in terms of geography or lifestyles or backgrounds doesn’t matter. Music is what brings us together, it makes sense, it’s a universal language. Music is the healer.“

Watch the Ladi 6 – Return to Africa teaser clip here, and visit redbull.co.nz/music for weekly video releases thorughout November. The full documentary will be released onNovember 29.

@RedBullNZ. #Ladi6Africa. #GivesYouWings.

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