Emmanuel Carlos St. Omer: My Very Own Brother
Emmanuel Carlos St. Omer Confronts a Painful Truth in “My Very Own Brother”
Saint Lucia artist’s roots-reggae single from Radical Son – Back to Roots wrestles with complicity, invisible chains, and hard-won healing
Singer-songwriter and producer Emmanuel Carlos St. Omer unveils one of his most fearless statements with “My Very Own Brother,” a roots-reggae testimony that faces an uncomfortable truth: the role of “our own” in selling “our own” into slavery, and the lingering mindset that still binds us today. The lyric traces betrayal, internalized oppression, and the “chains invisible” we now call pride, pleasure, and status—before rising toward courage and grace.
Anchored by the refrain “My very own brother, of the same skin color, sold I into slavery,” the song refuses to look away, naming the wound so it can finally heal. Verses speak of history’s bargains and modern-day facades—“We wear the chains invisible… / We barter freedom every day”—while the bridge is a manifesto for renewal: “Unlearn the whip, unlove the chain… If we don’t break the yoke unseen / Our children drink from poisoned streams.” The journey ends in spiritual defiance: “By God’s grace I rise—Bravery is mine.”
“This song is about truth before triumph,” says St. Omer. “We can’t fix what we won’t face. Naming complicity doesn’t erase the crime of slavery—it confronts the mindset that survives it, so we can choose brotherhood over betrayal, and pass healing—not poison—to our children.”
“My Very Own Brother” sits at the heart of St. Omer’s forthcoming album Radical Son – Back to Roots, a project that brings reggae home to its essentials—drum, bass, story, and spirit. Where other tracks lift with communal anthems and meditative grooves, this single strikes the nerve: it is roots music doing its oldest job—truth-telling that leads to transformation.
About Emmanuel Carlos St. Omer
A former jingle composer turned recording artist, St. Omer has released 10 solo albums and appeared on 37 compilation projects worldwide. His songwriting has earned international recognition, including Commonwealth Song Contest finals, a Mood:Media placement, and top-tier competition nods—alongside a growing catalog of conscious reggae and reggae-fusion. From Saint Lucia to the world, he writes to heal, to remember, and to rise.
Have a listen and connect with Emmanuel Carlos St.Omer:
