Queendemme

The Final Element of the 7-Part Experimental Multimedia Journey Unveiled by Queendemme

Queendemme
Album Art: @aliaaluma with support from @j.t.t.v

The Visuals for Queendemme: Celebrating Diverse Feminity, Creativity and Strength

This intimate yet diverse group of talented Black artists has come together through raw, creative expression to celebrate their collective experiences. The multi-elemental project showcases the women’s diverse beauty and the prairies’ diverse landscapes. Stunning and intimate visuals encapsulated in the music video are the final part of the historic multimedia exhibition, released on September 1, 2022. The video features 60 Black Calgary-based female artists around the millennial age range.

“A beautiful expression of the nuances of Black joy & creative liberation,” Canadian author Rachel Ricketts says of the video.

One of the video’s editors, Daniel Pianezza, has worked on 2 of Jessie Reyez’s recent music videos. Produced by Rheanna ‘Caedance’ Lauren, the project also contains footage from award-winning cinematographers & directors Misha Maseka and Gabriel Yee. Like the project’s director Sabrina Naz-Comanescu and cinematographer Wyatt Sawyer, they have all had their work featured in film festivals and competitions, from Calgary to Toronto to Dubai to Berlin.

The music video summarises the already created elements of the Queendemme experience, including a documentary, two-part photo series, live event, poem, and song. Queendemme invites viewers into the immersive cultural experience with a visual story of joy, pride, and community for Black Canadian women today and for generations to come.

Like “kingdom,” the name Queendemme was adapted to cheekily hold space as women, in our ‘queendom’, with a visual of the royals in Wakanda. The pronunciation (“gal-dem”) is a play on Caribbean slang, which means a group of girls. These two meld a nod to the various cultures that exist in the diaspora of blackness within Canada, such as these Caribbean/African influences. As one of Canada’s national languages, the “emme” is a nod to the French language word for women (‘femme.’) The “CA” in the original full-length title represents Calgary and Canada, creating ‘Queendemme’ to be a place.

Produced, directed, and filmed by three born-and-raised Calgarians, the video was filmed over three days at nine unique locations, sharing a lens of the Black Calgarian artist’s experience in the prairies through lighthearted yet meaningful commentary on the existence of royalty in coffee-coloured skin. The video features legendary Albertan playwright Cheryl Foggo, with filming locations including local Black-owned businesses, coveted Calgary views, and even a reflective set at The Grand Theatre. The settings add deeper meaning as in just 1914, Charles Daniels was denied fair access to a theatre performance at the venue for his race.

Singers BLSNG, Sinzere, caedance, and Lady Channing gracefully and powerfully meld vocals with the ByLofi & Waves-produced instrumental. With song creators who have worked with the likes of Russ, Joey Bada$$, JuiceWrld, and created music that has made it to Barack Obama’s favourites, the Queendemme record itself is a standalone piece of quality melodic art.

This project, with support from the Calgary Society for Independent Filmmakers, Calgary Arts Development, and The City of Calgary, breathes out a memorable & iconic time capsule featuring artful and heartfelt creativity that has shaped these creative trailblazers call home.

Watch the final video from Queendemme below, and stay up to date with Queendemme via their socials.

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