Artists — Next Door Records

1783

In 1783, the American War of Independence came to an end. Refugees, former soldiers, and British loyalists left everything behind to return to England, or make new homes elsewhere.

From April to November of that year, over 3000 people of African descent boarded 81 ships and sailed out of New York. These were the so-called Black Loyalists: some of them free people, many of them still enslaved, who fought for the British in exchange for the promise of land and freedom. Arriving in Nova Scotia, they were given the poorest housing, little food, few supplies. Yet they survived and went on to found Black settlements across the province. The events of 1783 sparked the origin story of a unique people and culture, sometimes called African Nova Scotia or Black Nova Scotia. Or, if you’re from here, just Scotia.

1783 is also the title of the third full-length album from Black Nova Scotian hip hop/R&B artist Aquakultre, a.k.a. Lance Sampson. Descended directly from those first settlers, Lance has created a profound concept album that is deeply rooted in his own rich family history. The 17-track album comprises 11 full-length songs and six interludes, with each track describing Black Nova Scotian history, thoughtful family stories, and intergenerational reflections on Aquakultre carrying the torch passed on to him from elders, acting as a beacon of light for a brighter future.

Coming up in public housing, Lance didn’t have access to music education. He got on the wrong road for a time. During a period of incarceration, he taught himself to play guitar and started writing songs. One of them won the CBC Music Searchlight competition. His two subsequent albums and a multitude of collaborations have earned acclaim; he is a Prism Prize recipient and twice Polaris Music Prize longlister.

1783 sees Aquakultre on a greater path.“When I had my daughter, I wept for the first time in almost 15 years. And as she got older, I came to realise that I didn't have a true example of what fatherhood looked like. What a partnership looked like. I didn't understand why I felt so out of place within and around people who looked like me,” says Lance. “I barely knew who my family was. I barely knew who I was. If my daughter were to ask me who her family was, I could only give her a fraction of what I now know to be true. I knew I had to do some research. 1783 is when Black Loyalists made their way to Nova Scotia from New York, but it is also how far I can personally trace some of my roots. Traveling the province, talking with elders from the Black communities I'm connected to, inspired the writing of the album.”

1783’s musical direction seamlessly blends a wide range of historically Black musics, with hints of gospel, blues, jazz, and soul, mixed in with vintage R&B overtones. Standout tracks include the first single, “Scotia Born”, a catchy, celebratory anthem of regional pride. The hard-hitting “Gallows” gives voice to Aquakultre’s great-great-grandfather Daniel P. Sampson, a WW1 veteran who in 1935 was wrongfully convicted of murder and became the last man to be executed by hanging in Halifax. “The Avenue” takes listeners on a breezy, nostalgic stroll along the main street of a historically significant Black neighbourhood in Dartmouth that has since been nearly gentrified out of existence. “Matriarchs” is a gut-wrenching duet between a man who’s dancing with danger, and his single mother who tried to raise him right. The noteworthy and intentionally poignant musicianship found throughout the album, highlighted by strong horn and string arrangements, provides just the right backdrop for Lance’s big, warm vocals to shine through. Guest musicians include a who’s who of African Nova Scotia’s best kept musical secrets, including blues diva Linda Carvery, R&B vocalists Haliey Smith and Gary Beals, and gospel legends The Sanctified Brothers. At once sweeping and intimate, 1783 pays tribute to a uniquely resilient corner of the Black diaspora that is being brought to the musical fore – it’s quite literally an album for the ages.