With racial animus at a boil in the United States, singer Peetah Sancho was inspired to write When The Trumpet Blows , a song that was released last week by his Tri Yard label.

The self-produced single debuted in time for the July 23 birthday of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, a significant historical figure.

“His Majesty was a great man, very influential not just in Africa but the world. Having a United States of Africa was one of his greatest ambitions,” said Sancho.

When The Trumpet Blows was written following the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer on May 25 in Minneapolis. The grisly incident sparked protests led by the Black Lives Matter movement throughout the United States.

“At one time it (racism) was under the carpet but now it’s clear that there is systematic racism an’ di people can’t tek it nuh more,” said Sancho who has lived in the United States for over 40 years.

When The Trumpet Blows is Sancho’s second song since returning to music following a four-year break. It is the follow-up to Rose’s, an acoustic ballad he did with guitarist Andy Bassford.

From the Lyndhurst Road area of Kingston, Peetah Sancho was born Peter Ingram and attended St George’s College. He migrated to the US in the late 1970’s and settled in Paterson, New Jersey.

He began recording in the 1980s, his first song being a cover of Jimmy Cliff’s Sitting in Limbo. He has also produced songs for Tri Yard by acts such as Mr Lex and Red Fox.