Target reached!
Any donations exceeding our crowdfunding target will be used for further songwriting...
Ethiopia to Bath Spa - An Emperor in Exile
Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, United Kingdom
Aim
We are crowdfunding £7,500 for the making of a reggae album telling the story of Haile Selassie's exile in Bath from 1936 to 1940.
The Project
Welcome to "Ethiopia to Bath Spa - An Emperor in Exile" crowdfunding campaign. We are match-funding an Arts Council of England Project Grant for the making of a special-edition vinyl album by Bath musicians Babba Maas & Friends.
Headline Artists
Special guests featuring on the album will include Benjamin Zephaniah & Yaz Alexander, Earl 16 & Nick Manasseh with more international reggae artists to join us soon.
The Story
The album takes you on a musical journey from Ethiopia to the UK exploring the experiences of The Emperor Haile Selassie who was forced into exile in The City of Bath between 1936 and 1940. This intriguing story of an emperor suffering destitution in the West of England is a little-known part of world history. The lyrics tell of defeat and desperation, refuge, determination and finally triumphant return to defeat the fascist forces that brutalised Ethiopia during WWII.
Babba Maas & Friends
Led by local song-writing duo Al Seviour & Mark Archer this project brings together a team of high profile artists, producers, and sound engineers all driven by their shared love for reggae music and the desire to create something extraordinary.
Campaign Aims
This non-profit making project will help fund the production and promotion of the album, marking this important historical event. By supporting this campaign, you will be contributing to the growth and recognition of local musicians and artists.
Rewards
As a token of our gratitude for helping us reach our £7,500 Arts Council Match-funding target, we have prepared some exciting rewards exclusively for our campaign backers.
- Donations of £15 or above will receive a pre-release copy of the 12" colour vinyl album (the official release will be on sale for £30 to £35).
- Donations of £100 will be given tickets for an exclusive historical guided tour of the house where Haile Selassie spent his 5 years in exile - this will be for a family & friends group of up to 8 people.
- Donations of £20 will receive a ticket for an historical guided tour of the house followed by a Caribbean lunch (meat or vegan).
- Donations of £35 will receive a ticket for the guided tour of the house followed by a Caribbean lunch and also be given copy of the limited edition coloured vinyl album.
- Donations of £60 same reward as above but for two people. (£45 if only 1 album taken),
- Donations under £15 will receive an exclusive link to all pre-release online digital recordings of the album tracks.
- All donations will receive special invitations to the album launch event.
- Donations of £25 gain entry into a prize draw to win a special edition album signed by the artists. Only 10 available so highly collectable.
Your contribution, no matter the size, will make a significant difference in empowering local musicians and artists, allowing them to share their unique voices with the world.
The Arts Council of England Grants
The Arts Council provide grants for creative community projects. They want to see match-funding for our project to demonstrate that we have the belief and support of our community behind us.
Your donation will make all the difference - so huge thanks in advance for your belief and support!
Babba Maas & Friends.
This project successfully funded on 23rd September 2023