This cheerful and energetic music video pays tribute to peasant communities, afro-descendants and indigenous peoples of the Montes de María subregion of Colombia. Through a daily struggle for free seeds they guarantee that the country will always have food.

The peasants and indigenous communities of Colombia, like many peasants around the world, are struggling to keep their own seeds in the face of pressure from agribusiness to purchase seeds that cannot be kept from one year to another.

Music and art are important ways for these communities to reach out to people in the cities and around the world, to invite them to join their struggles. It also celebrates the peasant way of life that sustains us wherever we are on the planet.

Systema Solar is a music-visual collective of the Caribbean region of Colombia. Its members from diverse territorial and musical latitudes, have found a sea of ​​possibilities in Afro-Caribbean vibrations to enhance the strength and power of Colombian music. They create music-visual shows with their own style that they call “Berbenautika“, inspired by the tradition of the pikós (sound systems) and the Verbena (a popular festival). Its crewmembers gather to create, adapt and reinvent improvised music with a strong emphasis on the cult of dance and joy.

¨Music is magic. It enters people through their ears, their eyes, through the movement of the body. It is important for us to show, not only to Colombia, but to the world, the importance of having free seeds. Music transmits messages and open minds.¨ –Jhon Pri, from Systema Solar.

Systema Solar recorded ‘Pa’ Sembrar’ (We are off to plant) in February 2019 with the community of thePuerto Mesitas village in the district of Santo Domingo de Meza, in Montes de María. The video shows the work of the peasants and ethnic communities who work the land with free seeds and produce food for much of the region. It was produced with a network of partner organizations, who have been carrying out the ‘Grow Food, Harvest Peace’ campaign since 2015.

Lyrics of “Pa ‘Sembrar”

(in English, followed by the original lyrics in Spanish)

I am going to plant in the holy field
I already have my seed
Wandering and searching, full of volition
With my backpack full
Of seed to ‘sow marvel’ in magical land
Of seed to ‘sow marvel’ that gives life

Hey, hey
You can do whatever you want
Today we are going to sow in the land
The seed I carry in my backpack to plant
You can do whatever you want
Today we are going to sow in the land
The seed I carry in my backpack to plant
But they want to take everything today to the point of threat
And if my seed guides me, I want to let it

Say whatever they say, I will go with my seed, look over there, hey
Start sowing. Hey, lets go!
Start sowing
Say whatever they say, I go with my seed, look over there, hey)
Start sowing
Start sowing

Sow your seed that you are going to create
The seed, look, is what moves you
Sow your seed that you are going to create
The seed, look, is what moves you
Feel and see what people say what will happen
Feel and see what people say what will happen

Look, look, hey
Shine, shine, hey
We were born or not for seed
We were born or not for seed
We were born or not for seed

I bring seed, my friend, good companion
So that you can sow, my friend (look, mate), my friend (How so?)
I bring seed, my friend, good companion
To plant without money (How so?)
My friend, my friend, companion
My friend, my friend, companion (How so?)
Without money (How so?)
I bring seed, my friend, good companion
So that you can sow, my friend (look, mate), my friend (How so?)
I bring seed, my friend, good companion
To plant without money (How so?)
(As well?)

Mother, come, come
Come on, let’s go over there
Let’s go to the roses
We are going to sow (How?)
Here there is land everywhere you look
Beautiful land to plant, without fences (How so?)
And without anyone who comes to collect
My friend, the seed without spikes (How so?)
Let’s save the seed
Free seeds, lets go sow

Letra de ‘Pa’ Sembrar

En el campo santo me voy a sembrar
Ya tengo mi semilla
Es que ando buscando lleno’e voluntad
Y repleta mi mochila
De semilla pa’ sembrar maravilla’ en tierra mágica
De semilla pa’ sembrar maravilla’ que da la vida

Hey, hey
Puede hacer lo que quiera
Que vamos hoy de siembra en tierra
La semilla llevo en mi mochila pa’ sembrar
Puede hacer lo que quiera
Que vamos hoy de siembra en tierra
La semilla llevo en mi mochila pa’ sembrar
Pero quieren llevarse todo hoy a punta de amenaza
Y si mi semilla guía, la quiero dejar

(Digan lo que digan voy con mi semilla, mira pila, hey)
Ponte a sembrar (Hey, vamo’ pue’)
Ponte a sembrar
(Digan lo que digan voy con mi semilla, mira pila, hey)
Ponte a sembrar
Ponte a sembrar

Siembra tu semilla que vas a inventar
La semilla, mira, es la que te mueve
Siembra tu semilla que vas a inventar
La semilla, mira, es la que te mueve
Siente y mira lo que dice gente lo que va a pasar
Siente y mira lo que dice gente lo que va a pasar

Mira, mira, hey
Brilla, brilla, hey
Nacimos o no pa’ semilla
Nacimos o no pa’ semilla
Nacimos o no pa’ semilla

Traigo semilla, compa, compa de la buena
Pa’ que siembre compañero (mire, compañero), compañero (¿Cómo así?)
Traigo semilla, compa, compa de la buena
Pa’ que siembre sin dinero (¿Cómo así?)
Compa, compa, compañero
Compa, compa, compañero (¿Cómo así?)
Sin dinero (¿Cómo así?)
Traigo semilla, compa, compa de la buena
Pa’ que siembre compañero (mire, compañero), compañero (¿Cómo así?)
Traigo semilla, compa, compa de la buena
Pa’ que siembre sin dinero (¿Cómo así?)
(¿Cómo así?)

Comadre, vengan, venga
Vamos, vamos pa’ alla
Vamos pa’ las rosas
Vamos a sembrar (¿Cómo así?)
Aqui hay tierra pa’onde vea
Tierra bella pa’ sembrar, sin cerca (¿Cómo así?)
Y sin nadie que le venga a cobrar
Compa, la semilla sin rejo (¿Cómo así?)
Libreremos la semilla
Semillas libres, vamo’ a sembrar