Video Premiere for the Title Track off Yasmin William's URBAN DRIFTWOOD
Directed by Drew Hagelin | Camera operation by Drew Hagelin & Josh Vaile | Appearances by Amadou Kouyate & Yasmin Wiliams
We're super psyched to share the video for the title track of guitarist & composer Yasmin Williams' upcoming album Urban Driftwood. The video, featuring Amadou Kouyate (150th generation djeli of the Kouyate family), and directed by Drew Hagelin explores themes of reflection, the natural world, and urban migration, through vivid scenes shot in Baltimore. The sonic landscape of the repetitive, meditative sounds of guitar, kora, kalimba, and hand drums align with the saturated, sweeping visuals to communicate the feeling of movement and exploration of the natural beauty that persists within urban spaces.
As Williams wrote the song, she was reflecting on her personal role in the context of the current societal moment, considering her position as Black female guitarist within a white male dominated field. Yasmin says, “There are not many Black guitarists within this genre and particularly with all of the political and social discord that was/is happening in the United States in 2020, I felt it was extremely important to include a song on the album that was inspired by my heritage and paid homage to who I am, the household I grew up in, the music I listened to as a child. ‘Urban Driftwood’ is more like the music I grew up listening to than any other song I’ve released so far.”