Words by Ronnia Cherry
Naomi Cowan, daughter of reggae impresario Tommy Cowan and Jamaican singer Carlene Davis, pours her honeyed vocals and vibrant energy into some delicious visuals for her breakthrough single, “Paradise Plum.”
A paradise plum is a hard candy (or sweetie as we say in Jamaica), known for its layered and sugar-coated flavor. Much like that classic treat, the Teflon-produced “Paradise Plum” offers a timeless fusion of bold flavor and delightful fantasy. The richly-colored video, directed by Kia Moses and styled by Kristia Franklin (My Repeat Offender) and designer James Black (Love YC), includes cameo appearances from some of Kingston’s largest creatives, and wicked prop design by Lindsey Lodenquai (of New Wave Jamaica) and Rose and Tamo Ennis (Karib Funk).
“We wanted to create a candy-colored tropical paradise that highlighted Jamaica’s undeniable swag and fashion,” Naomi says. “This is why we invited a bunch of dope creatives to make cameos.”
Filmed in the heart of Jamaica’s emerging creative community on Fleet Street and Life Yard in Downtown Kingston, the video was made with a barely-there budget. “Our entire production crew did it for the love,” says Moses, whose debut short film FLIGHT debuted at the recent Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival. “Paradise Plum” is her first video. “I knew this was going to be GOLD when I told Naomi that she’s gonna ride around Downtown Kingston in heels… and she actually ROLLS with it.”
Naomi adds: “The bicycle idea was perfect for me and my personality. When I used to live in Toronto, I only biked during the summer and fall, instead of taking the subway, so it was easy to ride in heels. I was sore for an entire week!”
Imagine Candy Land come to life with Caribbean art and sound systems. Maad!
LargeUp Naomi Cowan for this one, yuh large.
