Berhana Scores a Vivid Ode to the Immigrant Story in 'Amén (The Nomad’s Dream)'
A first-generation Ethiopian raised in Atlanta, Berhana’s newest album Amén (The Nomad’s Dream) is an offering to the bravery of those who preceded him and a paved road for those who dare to follow.
12 tracks of R&B, psychedelic soul, and Ethio-jazz, we join a journey through love, identity, and coming home to a new belief system. A sonic odyssey, Amén (The Nomad’s Dream) is Berhana’s most thoughtful work yet. As a multifaceted storyteller, credited not only with his music production but screenplay work as well, the album is accompanied by a short film of the same title. Featuring a handful of the album’s most cathartic tracks, from “Gone (Abebe Bikini)” to “Break Bread,” the film gives us the space to dive more deeply into Berhana’s intention with this project, and it’s much more personal than you may realize.
Gleaning inspiration from the 1966 student film Have a Coke, directed by Mark McCarty, Berhana begs to spotlight the immigration experience. Trying to fit into a foreign world that has already decided who you are, The Nomad’s Dream frees the narrative of many black and brown people being sold a stale bargain and stumbling through starting anew.
A visual masterpiece that pedestals every shade and texture of brown, the film premiered in New York City, Washington DC, Addis Ababa, and Los Angeles. Attending the screening at Brain Dead Studios in Fairfax, nestled in a room full of awe-striking Ethiopians, it’s an indescribable feeling to witness people witnessing themselves on screen, maybe for the first time. Young and mature, bright-eyed and veterans alike, The Nomad’s Dream tells a story that hasn’t often made it past their dinner tables.
Family is found in the pockets of laughter and shared meals that pitstop the immigration journey, those moments when you remember why you chose such discomfort in the first place. Amén (The Nomad’s Dream) is Berhana’s effort to not only liberate a story that’s lived within his lineage but a story for everyone who has ever felt alien.
Listen to Amén (The Nomad’s Dream) below:
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