Sanya N’Kanta – ‘I.C.E. At The Door’

Sanya N’Kanta has never been one to stand back and let others speak when he was capable of making change. In his previous single, ‘Silence Is Violence’, he spoke out in an heartbreaking and forceful statement about police brutality, which was released even before the levee banks broke in the wake of the horrific murder of George Floyd. Similarly, ‘I.C.E. At The Door’ speaks out about an issue which more people should be concerned and active about – the increasing militarisation of police in the US, and the daily experience of undocumented immigrants at their hands; even if they aren’t currently incarcerated by I.C.E., they struggle to make ends meet in a strange land, and constantly risk seizure, deportation, and permanent separation from their families – just because they wanted to make a better life for themselves in the only way they knew how. Both tracks are from reggae, rock, and hip hop singer Sanya N’Kanta’s latest album, ‘The Counterfeit Revival’, which is filled to the brim with thought provoking and always entertaining tracks.

In ‘I.C.E. At The Door’, Sanya N’Kanta makes a statement of radical compassion to all those who are facing this daily. Not satisfied to look away from I.C.E.’s ruthless methods, he broods over a beautiful beat, calling for justice, humanity, and overall, common decency. Sanya N’Kanta uses his platform for good; he follows in a long tradition of other reggae artists who have done likewise.

The animated video for ‘I.C.E. At The Door’, by Ben Clarkson, is just as intense as the song itself. With stark, and often terrifying, yet intelligent and unflinching images, the clip reinforces the violence and damage done to families that can never be repaired. A picture of a family – mother, father, baby – falls to the floor from the wall, shattering. Cyclone mesh encases a weeping child, while Uncle Sam’s long arm reaches down from the sky, in order to grab at a young woman carrying her child. Knocks at the door by menacing gloved hands, hoods are dropped over the heads of those incarcerated, and CCTV cameras survey in every direction: there’s nowhere to feel safe. Colours such as deep red, vibrant purple, and olive green skies reinforce the feelings of unease, while we see a desert divided by a border wall. Much as this is animated, it’s a very real look at what is happening in the world right now, and the question we should all ask ourselves is, why is this happening, and should it be happening in a country which portrays itself as not only civilised, but also The Land Of The Free?

Watch the deeply moving video for ‘I.C.E. At The Door’ below, and find out more about Sanya N’Kanta online on his official website.