Wonderland

LION AND DOPE SAINT JUDE – “MITMITA”

The Electropop-alternative artist links up with the Cape Town-based electro hip-hop artist for a fiery Afrobeats banger.

Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, LION has been releasing a series of bold singles over the past year. Tracks like “Not Your Fetish” and “Attention” have garnered significant critical and audience acclaim. Now, the rising star teams up with Dope Saint Jude for “MITMITA”. This enigmatic Afrobeats track captures the strength and essence of the African LGBTQIA+ community, featuring expansive 808s, dynamic percussion, and bold, unapologetic lyrics.

Describing how their diverse experiences converged on the track, Saint Jude explains “LION’s production made it easy to jam on and create fun music. We are also committed to creating spaces where our diverse experiences are acknowledged, and our identities are honoured … Through music and advocacy, we strive to inspire change and foster a sense of belonging and pride within our community.”

LION goes on to speak on their creative process, sharing “’MITMITA’ is my Ethiopian Mother’s go-to seasoning, so having it as the focal point of this song feels connective as we are here to spice things up by celebrating and supporting members of our Queer BIPOC global community, who too often experience trauma related to the lack of capacity to proudly present their identity.”

Timing their release for the end of pride month, and to reinforce African Pride, LION explains how they aim to use their voices for the voiceless. “In my case, being LGBTQIA+ is often deemed as ‘un-African’, which is a major source of identity conflict for myself and many others I am aware of,” LION explains. “These discriminatory statements are often made in the name of religious beliefs which in turn see us queer folk referred to as ‘devils.’ I decided to mock that character by showcasing that we’re not evil, but rather a beautiful community. We’ll continue to stand strong in our power with this song and its invitation for any BIPOC friends who have felt shame around their identity to reclaim our narratives together!”

Dope Saint Jude agrees “This collaboration is important to me because as an artist and advocate, my passion lies in amplifying the voices of LGBTQIA+ Africans. Our stories, our struggles, and our triumphs deserve to be heard and celebrated.”

Listen to the track…