Emeritans tackle ‘World Crisis’ with reggae music

Since forming in Madrid, Spain, several years ago, the Emeterians, a reggae trio, have consistently delivered reggae albums with an electrifying verve combined with a stirring mix of lyrical, soulful, thought-provoking roots reggae anthems.

The Emeterians comprise Maga Lion, Brother Wildman and Sister Maryjane. They believe that now, more than ever, the world needs the powerful voice of reggae music to tackle the inequalities which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We think reggae music is and always has been a music that carries a message of righteousness, socially committed to fight injustice and preserve the principles of equality. We firmly believe this message is timeless and it will continue to encourage and guide mankind to finally achieve a better tomorrow,” Maga Lion said.

The Emeterians have consistently shown appreciation for diverse types of reggae on tracks such as the splendid Love is the King and roots-rock, horn-happy Positivity=Possibility. Their last album, Roots O’Clock, was released by VPAL Music in 2019 and they were set to release an acoustic album last year. However, the pandemic forced them to postpone the release.

“Like for most artistes, all our shows were cancelled. We were coming from our best year so far, 2019, so we had festivals already booked and plans to finally travel to Jamaica and the US in 2020. We also wanted to release an acoustic live album in April. But the pademic also affected us in a positive way in the sense that we were able to work on new recordings. We also had the chance to work on several cover songs with UB40’s Brian Travers, a new album, the Lockdown Project,” Maga Lion said.

The group is now promoting the single, World Crisis, which was produced by Frankie Music and which is being distributed by VPAL Music.

Social Media

“We were also part of a beautiful project called Female Reggae Voices with lots of talented empresses from around the globe. The truth is that the pandemic is teaching us how important music really is for everyone and how simple things do matter. We think the industry needs to readapt, the same as we artistes and musicians need to readapt again when the gigs come back,” Sister Maryjane said.

The Emeritans say they relied heavily on social media to maintain a relationship with fans.

“We have been learning a lot about how to make your social media more appealing by creating lots of different formats and being able to regularly provide interesting content to our fans. Regarding Instagram Live sessions, we are trying to do at least one each month. However, as the three of us don’t live together sometimes it’s not possible due to confinement,” Brother Wildman said.

They participated in several online streaming festivals and fundraisers, and are seeking out new ways to stay connected to their musical family.

The Emeterians released Power of Unity, their debut album, four years after they formed in 2004. In 2015, they dropped their second album, Inna Different Style, which was followed by The Journey in 2016, and Roots O’Clock in 2019.

The Emeterians have graced the stage at several major festivals including Rototom Sunsplash in Benicassim, Spain, as well as major shows in the Balearic Islands, Portugal, Germany and London.