Journal

“The One” by Omar Harrison of Spoken Hand Percussion Orchestra

Posted:
June 10, 2015
Topic(s):
News

Skins beat…skins speak

Words in rhythm, swift as eagles – felt but not seen, seen as they possess the beings of peoples
I see heads bop and I see bodies rock and like amnesia – we forgot
About all our worldly troubles
As we transform by way of triples, singles, and doubles…
the spirit went to work
and glued together quality rubble who would allow the individual to be muzzled
All for the purpose of talking at the same time
I know, this goes against childhood teachings
But Brother Kwesi envisioned many having the same mind
If we can look at “one” and stay in the same line
The “One,” that thread that ties these heads
Keeps the spirit fed
As we circle and come together we change patterns of weather even if it’s sunny, we making it better by way of these letters – commonly referred to as notes
firing off in a rapid succession emanating from hands that spoke or rather hands that wrote compilations on the pages of the ethers
available forever for future leaders and/or future teachers… There’s a message concealed inside the drumbeat – A message I feel through every fiber of my physique
We have the djembe and the dunun “heat”
combined with the tabla “sweet”
Add a healthy dose of Brazilian “street”
And the spiritual bata that sublimely “creeps”
This is what happens when we come together – I say this is what happens when we come together

Let me give you more insight into our “why?”
Or the science behind this alliance…
Everything is poetry in motion
and this is how we celebrate the universal law…
No need for defiance
See, we found out that we can transform
From mere mortal to giants
using the portal of the pitter-patter
To heighten the vibration of our subatomic matter
until we climb several notches up Jacob’s Ladder to take a fresh breather
My brother Lenny summed it up best
when he said it’s like breathing, so you know it’s always in season, it’s always a reason for a stretching for and reaching…
coming up with ways to culturally express the “I am”
Born through different families but I still say these guys are my “fam”
I’d stand next to these gentlemen in any setting as if we were soldiers
and bring our heads together to bring our world that much closer…
This is no ordinary love, this is our truth
our proof that we can (just) all get along
We just choose to do it through the rhythm and song
It’s like church bringing forth a fervor with calm…
See, the fun is in knowing where the “One” is…
and being able to dance on it and around it
staying focused on complex combinations
and the mission that grounds it
And when we can leave a crowd of people astounded, it makes the investment worth our while
Baba Joe said this is legacy
I’ll add the smile
This here is definitely legacy with a smile…

Just imagine if everybody had a drum, then everyone could have this much fun…
Instead of rainy days, everyone/everyday would be one in the sun
And maybe the nonsense of the world wouldn’t weigh a ton
We’re too tall to think small so we are thinking BIG
We’re too loving to think of ourselves, we think of the art form, the people, the kids.
You guys are our kitchen – this here Painted Bride – the costumes are our aprons
And we’re cooking up all kinds of tasty “vibes” for the attentive ear, the respectful eye…
And blending styles from the West, South, the North, East
and produce a stunning example of a world at peace

I say this is a shining example of a world at peace.

This here is definitely a world at Peace. ..