Artist description These are the hot bands that have interpreted my music over the past twenty years. AFRIKAN DREAMLAND, THE NEW DREAM, PYRAMID UNDERGROUND, MOUNTAIN SOUL BAND & AASHID and AMIR

Music Style world music

Musical Influences jimi hendrix, robert johnson, fred mcdowell, bob marley, augustus pablo, louis jordan, ramsey lewis, pharoah sanders, brian eno,archie himonsand alice rose

Similar Artists very unique sound

Artist History AASHID HIMONS BIO(ArchieHimons,GoAyo, Little Archie, Akigo Haamu,West Virginia Slim)He was born on September 22, 1942. Aashid was just three, sitting on his mother's knee, when he started playing the piano. At five, he picked up the drum and became an instant celebrity by appearing on various radio and TV talent shows, including the Today Show with Dave Garroway at age 10. As a child of four he began singing and playing piano in the church. He was only 13 when he left home, hitchhiking to New York City with a dollar in his pocket and an adventurous spirit. In 1959 he joined the army and after a brief and negative tour of duty, he moved to Washington, D.C. and resumed his musical journey. After a few years of duwop music and life experiences on the mean streets, he got together a band, Little Archie & The Majestics, a rhythm & blues group that played smoky bars and private clubs. He and the Unpredictable Parliaments went to New York City to record for Sue Records in 1962. Aashid( Little Archie ) signed up with Buddy Killen's Dial label in 1966. The late '60s had it's own flavor and Archie was comfortable strumming his blues guitar in coffee houses and on street corners and huge outdoor festivals across the USA. In '69 he went to Toronto and along with Jim Byrnes formed the duo, God & I. After experiencing too many Canadian winters, he flew south to Mexico, became bilingual and felt very much at home playing with Three Souls In My Mind (a blues band) in the barrios of Mexico City. It was in a Honduran coastal town in 1972 that he first heard the sounds that would radically change his outlook and his music. Count Ossie and The Mystical Revelation of Rastafari was a band of holy men from the mountains of Jamaica and they opened a new door for Go Ayo. By the time he came back stateside, his music was an intriguing fusion of blues, soul, mariachi and reggae Niyabinghi. And his outlook was very harmonious. West Virginia Slim returned to Nashville in July ,1979 and within a year Aashid had broken new ground in Music City by forming his very popular and legendary reggae band, Afrikan Dreamland. As the driving force of Afrikan Dreamland, Aashid was among a handful of pioneers that helped to shape Nashville's alternative music scene. With the help of many of the city's best engineers and studio owners, he produced six albums for his band during the years 1980-87 as well as a solo album, Kosmic Gypsy. He was the first to produce a long form music video in Nashville. Afrikan Dreamland was the first stateside reggae band to have a video air on MTV. In 1986 & in 1987, The International Film & TV Festival of New York nominated two of his videos, Apartheid and One Heart, for Outstanding Achievement in the Audio-Visual Media. Both were produced with the help of director Lou Chanatry.After a near death encounter with pneumonia in the summer of '87, Aashid gave up his hectic road warrior schedule but continued to perform locally for special events and continued to produce reggae albums with his new band, Aashid & The New Dream. In 1990 & 91 Aashid received awards from The Metro, Nashville's music magazine, for best reggae band and best reggae artist. Even his solo space music album, Black Holiness, was highly acclaimed as the most innovative message of One Heart and One Love and it was this theme that inspired the awesome Mind Orbit spectaculars which were two multi-media music events coordinated by Aashid and performed by Aashid and his new revised band, Akasha . It was about this time that The Metro awarded Aashid a Hall of Fame honor, recognizing his contribution to Nashville as an outstanding performer, producer and promoter. Having gained some video expertise during the production of the Afrikan Dreamland videos, Aashid realized the broad range of this media as another avenue for communicating his ideas. He ventured to produce a series of one-hour music videos and documentaries. His name became well known at Community Access TV and his show Aashid Presents, still airs weekly on cable. Many years of experience in sound and video studios progressed into the natural desire to help other aspiring artists get themselves seen and heard and in 1997 Aashid coordinated the release of Black Music City - Phat Youth, a CD dedicated to the alternative black music of Nashville. It was produced for SOBA, the Society of Black Artists which Aashid himself had founded earlier that year, but an organization that lost its momentum due to the political aspirations of many of its members. Nevertheless, one good outcome was this showcase of exciting new talent compiled into a convenient package. In January of 1998, the CD received an award from Leadership Music for Exceptional Creativity & Excellence as Rap Recording of the Year. Another current compilation coordinated by Aashid in late 1997, One Heart Fiesta - World Music City, highlights the international flavor of Nashville and is a preview of what Aashid is planning to introduce into Nashville as an annual event premiering in 1999. His last release, The Leaders , which is a double CD featuring Aashid & Afrikan Dreamland was also nominated as best independent recording in 1997.Aashid Himons has traveled a long and windy road from the shelter of the hills of West Virginia to the Tennessee Valley. Stopping sometimes only long enough for a song, his universal appeal has touched many people from the quaint gas-lit clubs of Vancouver British Columbia to the dusky barrios of Mexico City, along the open beaches of Belize and beyond. Whether performing, interviewing, producing, directing or organizing, Aashid manages to remind everyone what the bottom line is - One Heart!

Group Members Aashid Himons, Giles Reaves, Mike Simmons, Kirby Shelstad, Victor Wooten, Bobby Taylor, Amir Rashidd, Paul Simmons, Tramp, Regi Wooten, Tim Coats, Denise Owens, Jackie Welch, Jamie Simmons, Gary Serkin, Gary Costner, Darrell Rose, Seth Ritter, Ross Smith, Jody Lentz, Phil Schmeidt, Steve Karol, Tony Gerber, Michael Mosiah Saleem, Richard Downs, Traylor Parker

Instruments vocals, guitars, bass guitars, banjos, mandolin, harmonicas, keyboards, fiddle, mandocello, drum kits, drum machines, ashiko & djembe drums, tabla, midi-kat

Albums Instrumentality, Across The Wall, The Low Down, Initiation Part 1 & 2, Trip, Blu - Reggae Roots, Since Time Began, West Virginia Soul, Afrikan Dubland

Press Reviews INTRODUCING AASHID HIMONS by Dr. Melvin T.Peters - Aashid Himons, multi-talented musician, composer, singer, sociopolitical activist, documentary film maker, and public access TV producer is one of thebest kept secrets of Southern African-American culture. The 14 independently produced and distributed recordings that he has released (both with his group Afrikan Dreamland and as a solo artist) from his Nashville base have had a potent underground impact on the dispersal of African centered musical culture in the deep South since 1981. Over the years, Aashid has received a number of elusive bits of national exposure that have revealed his continued presence and evolution as a conscious artist in the ancient tradition of the African griot. In 1970, during his sojourn in Canada, Aashid performed before 150,000 people at The "Canadian Woodstock" in Mossport, Ontario. He and Jim Byrnes, the actor/musician best known for his work in the television series "The Highlander" and "Wise Guy", performed in the folk blues style under the name God And I. They were popular on both Canadian coasts in 1970-71. His 1985 music video "Television Dreams" was one of the first African-American videos to appear on MTV. He was deeply involved with the production (mixing and drum programming) of Cyril Neville's Uptown All-Stars' dynamic first collection, Uptown Reggae (1988), on which he also played both keyboards and percussion. He appeared on keyboards on the track "Sister Rosa" which appeared on the Neville Brothers' album Yellow Moon (1989). Especially revealing of the high regard in which Aashid is held, by those who know him and/or his music, is the spoken word contribution he makes on A Show of Hands (1996), the solo album by virtuoso bassist Victor Wooten (of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones). On the "Words ofWisdom" track, Wooten has Aashid's words mixed in with those of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Mrs. Dorothy G. Wooten (Victor's mother).However, two of Aashid's own projects, the release of his double CD collection The Leaders (1995) and his book of spiritual writings Tribal Spirit, TheFirst Book of Aashid (1996), are destined to move his recognition factor out of the shadows and up into the full light that his gifted skills and range of artistic conception deserve. The Leaders, which features a chronology of lyrics composed from 1967 to 1995, provides a comprehensive overview of the depth of Aashid's griot-like thematic concerns and his evolution as a conscious artist griot, performed in his unique style that blends blues and reggae. The Leaders includes definitive remakes of some of his most impressive songs of the past such as "Womanhood", "Grassy Fields", "Dance and Survive", and "Apartheid", as well as the new compositions like the title cut, "The Next Man's Army", "Abu Aha", Mdaiye", and "USA". The collection, which was nominated for a Nashville Music Award in the Best Independent Album category in 1995, has received both positive reviews and airplay from World Music enthusiasts. Aashid's attendance at the Million Man March/Day of Absence on October 16, 1995 was the immediate inspiration for the creation of Tribal Spirit. Theupfull vibes derived from witnessing an event of that spiritual/political magnitude is ever present in the contents of the book's total package. No less than the actual sense of being at the Million Man March is achieved by the shrewd audio editing of Giles Reaves. A musical component of nearly 120 minutes of Aashid's fluent African drumming is expertly mixed with the day's ambient sounds, greetings, conversations and snatches of speeches. As well, the book's text is accompanied by a 20-page photo section (stills from Aashid's video footage), which visually captures the joy and determination of the faces and the gestures of the participants. Tribal Spirit's 31-piece text reveals the intense fulfillment that this conscious artist and veteran activist experienced in the presence of well over 1,000,000 African- Americans rededicating themselves to one another and to the enormous work that must be done, if we are to rise above the designed squalor of our current American reality. Collectively, these writings are lyrical explorations of the sense clarified purpose, rejuvenation, and unified wholeness thatwere engendered by the Million Man March. The majority of the pieces are extended spiritualized meditations, arranged as prose poems, that express the author's sense of responsibility, as stated in the Preface, to transmit to and to teach the reader approaches to the attainment of "a heightened sense of knowing." The themes of all of the pieces are reinforced by symbolism that stem from Aashid's long study of the ancient spiritual wisdom of theEthiopians, the Egyptians, the Dogon, the Hindus and the Native Americans. All of the above is, of course anchored in his eclectic faith in Rastafarianism.Yet because of their conversational directness, most of these works represent a definite departure from the elliptical, poetic lyricism found in his songs about spiritual concerns. I refer here especially to the richly metaphoric, riddle-filled depth, and often-prophetic quality of his songs from the late 1980's, such as "Dancing in Disguise", "Fly", The Current", "Sleeper Awake", "Aummmm", and "Atlantis Is My Home." Thus, works like "Sound, Spirit &Eternal Presence", "When Love Comes", "Tribal Spirit", "Winds Of Time", "Ask The Mother", "Rasta", and "The First Eye" are stylized preachments designed as transformational instruments to awaken and inspire the reader's intuition toward the path of an actively involved, conscious, spiritual wholeness. Some lines from a stanza within "Winds Of Time" is illustrative Some of us are afraid to open up and let everybody see the God within us. We're not all willing to let everybody know that we really have a God within us I can feel the God within you. I can feel the God within me. It is the oneness of us all, it continues to flow. This and other pieces seek to unite the divided selves of the externally, as well as internally battered souls of the African-American community nationwide in particular, with the sense of resurrection that the Million Man March manifested.Seven of the selections from Tribal Spirit, "The Message", "The Holy Spot", "Trilaak", "Center Yourself", "The Drum", and "The Great Atonement",further contribute to the work's feel of the actuality of the Million Man March. These pieces are virtual vehicles for perceiving the event's reality through the author's consciousness. The opening lines of "Center Yourself", demonstrate the technique: Doubt is the ultimate destroyerAnd patience is the ultimate cure Love, justice, and compassion must be embraced if peace on earth is ever to return. Such pieces offer guidance through providing an uncanny spontaneous sense of being there, responding to the pledges of atonement and rededication to the struggle for justice through oneness. These tend to evoke not merely wonder at his artistic gifts, but spiritually inspired action. The poetic lyrical strength of Aashid's writing is highlighted by the inclusion of a number of shorter works that can be categorized as blends of prayers and songs of praise for the evolution of mankind toward justice and the healing of the nation. There are literal prayers like" The Great Spirit Bird" , "O Jah The Great One", "The Universal Being", and "Shawabsta Inik". Four of the songs of praise, "The Highest Goal", "The Great Anointment", "Blood InThe Gourd", and "The Utmost Master", are written with the tight unity of his recorded songs and chants. Even though the impact of the Million Man March figures prominently in all aspects of the creation of Tribal Spirit, the book is actually the product of a lifetime of study and seeking, as well as three decades of creating and performing hundreds of original songs. Since this writer grew up with Aashid, it is easy to see that the roots of this book's concerns and its artistic techniques stretch back to his formative years spent in the racially segregated, economically exploited black community of Huntington, W.Va. He learned to play piano as a toddler on his grandmother's and gospel preacher-mother's laps and his concern for religious music dates from that familial connection, encouragement and passing down of the feeling and skills. The black community in which we grew to maturity was a proud and history-conscious one, despite being hamstrung by segregation's restrictive facts of life. The community then featured numerous, now atypical, black businesses. We were taught to be aware of the community's legacy of being a station on the underground railroad. The segregated school, which was named after Frederick Douglass, was developed into high school status by none other than Carter G. Woodson, the father of African-American history month. At that school, the curriculum included what was then called Negro history. When segregation was in full effect, we competed athletically and artistically against schools named after the likes of W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Booker T. Washington. All of that not withstanding, we suffered and we were wholly dissatisfied under West Virginia's contradictory segregation. When the protests and demonstrations of the civil rights movement hit Huntington, the youth made their move. Aashid was prominent among the grassroots activists that established links with SNCC and other similar organizations. The group he lead was called P.A.N. (Protect All Niggers). While it can't be said that the music Aashid was making as Little Archie and The Majestics, and later with The Parliaments, was of an activist sort, his dynamism as musician, singer, and performer was being sharply honed.It can be said however, that from the late 1970's, when Aashid returned to America after years of cleansing the "Babylon" of the place out of his soul in Central America, his lyrical and musical compositions reverberated with the conscious spirituality and bravery of his birthright. The essence of Aashid Himons' work is, to paraphrase the title of his 1987 album, in his genes. The Million Man March's magnificent spiritual and political manifestation of the African-American's legacy of diverse and deep religious feeling, blended with the determination to come together and to rise above defeat, is likewise a fitting description of the entire body of Aashid's created work recorded and/or published since 1981. Many of the issues raised by the Million Man March have been the themes of his compositions. In wide frame this is visible in the thrust of the titles of his collection of words and music: Jah Music(1981), Justice Is Coming (1983), One Heart and Black Holiness (both 1988), One Drum and Spiritual Man (1990), and The Leaders (1995). Aashid'sgift of reggae conception has served his versions of African-American spirituals like "Will The Circle be Unbroken", first recorded by him as "The New Circle" in 1983. His original spiritual compositions, "Fulfill The Book" and "Nothin'But A Lifetime" (both from Country Blues, 1988), demonstrate the depth of his religious roots. The spirit of atonement for specific sins is brilliantly evident in several lyrics, notably the anti-macho anthem "Womanhood", and his ironic redefinition of Bob Dylan's "Knocking On Heaven's Door" (both 1981), as well as in "Afrikan Lady" (1988) and "The Stone", (1995). The tragedy of the modern era's doping of African America is compellingly chanted down in "Addiction World" (1981). Aashid has penned some of the most acidic and stridently anti-racist songs of recent years such as, "Indigenous Nation" (1987), "American People" (1988), "The White Man" (1990), and "The USA" (1995). To be sure, he has also composed and recorded some memorable musical meditations on the shape of the future: "Love Is A Lion/Justice Is Coming" (1983), "Welcome To New Afrika" (1984), "Where Do We Go From Here?" (1985), and "The Leaders" (1995).To those already acquainted with the body of his prior works, it is clear that Aashid's first book is much more than a set of positive ideas that weregenerated by the Million Man March alone. That event was a dramatic, graphic confirmation of the righteousness of his life's work, a highwaterexperience in his continuing evolution. Aashid's spiritual writing of Tribal Spirit is an enlightened and enlightening extension of all the unity seeking and consciousness raising of his scores of recorded songs of redemption and awareness, since the early 1980's. In a major (if on-the-down-low way),Tribal Spirit charts the spiritual evolution of an artist's journey from the righteous gospel music of his origin, through the earthy excitement of his early 1960's rhythm and blues era and his solo blues career as West Virginia Slim into the living-in-grace cultural majesty of his blu-reggae band Afrikan Dreamland and beyond. The book represents still another phase of his career, that of Aashid the book-length author. The brother already has other publications planned. A compilation of the best of his pre-Tribal Spirit poetic lyrics should be one of them.WISDOM Of HEMAN Land of Mu by AashidOnce when we were one we only knew paradise,ecstasy and happiness. In the land of Mu, warriors can reach into the depths where fear and valor communicate with love and compassion.Initiation into the world of man is a feat of necessity challenged by everything we thought we knew. Beyond all expectations lies a world of unfathomable possibilities. Within these invisible walls exists the foundation of the consciousness of the ancient Muurs. We entered through creations fingertips at the speed of a million dreams,and now we know who we are.We are the hope for the future,the embodiment of the past,the most feared, misunderstood and hated .When will they ever learn and when will we ever wake up and take our seat on the golden throne named truth and enlightenment. Truth and Enlightenment! We have always been and we shall never cease to exist. Life is an ever fleeting,omnipresent glimpse of the essence into which the glow must absorb itself in order to create an environment suitable for the holistic manifestation of love. The Glow is that little black ball of light which originates just on the other side of nothingness. 1. Absorb the Glow and be absorbed by the light of JAH 2. The Sons and Daughters have returned to the customs of THE FUTURE. Their lives are more important than their holdings, their leavings are more important than their takings. We are the reasons and we are the ones who were chosen to be exactly where we are at this very moment. Always take responsibility for the space you occupy, it belongs to you only after the realization that we are on a special mission.The course we take is the choice from within and without.We choose our own path which determines the destiny of our now and future selves.3. "sailing on the sea of selves of late exists no time sea so cool and clear the self of selves divine"4. "the Most High will protect your camel if you tie it up"5. "the absolute truth is the infinite passing away of the finite previous truths"6. "to live is to be,to die is to be to be is it is not to be being is what forever was" 7. "ideas are finite in makeup,infinite in number"8. "blessed be the one who enjoys the noise for silence always comes,comes to one who destroys the joys of piracy and pun"9. "don't call the forest that shelters you a jungle" 10. "the ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people"11. "when you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him"12. "do not check the depth of a river with both feet" 13. " the fool speaks,the wise man listens"14. "if you are hiding,don't light a fire"15. "he who cannot dance says his feet hurt"16. "when you get there you"ll know it was the right path to take"17. "I know another knows, I know another sees the light years pass under me"18. "the youth is driven by the need to know"19. "where is your God, is He in that well, is She in that river"Are they in those Mountains, is It in that Bird"where is your God, why do we need Him, why do we fear Her"20. "where is forever, it may be in you"21. "as the road goes by, I know that I am traveling,I also know that I have many places to go"22. "when the days are numbered,we need not count"23. "listen to the words and fly with me, to who we are,not to who we should be"24. "we are the rhythm of the drum, as it passes through the universal life force within"25. "rhythms from beyond the Drum,melodies from beyond the Sun, logic from the open plane to Love"s Secret Domain"26. "the divine will dominate,the satanic will fade into oblivion,righteousness shall rise among the masses,the time of The Great Anointment is here"27. "don"t kick a sleeping dog"28. "evil knows where evil sleeps"29. "the wisest man can learn from the biggest fool"30. "absence makes the heart grow fonder"31. "what goes around,comes around"32. "the fruit always falls close to the tree"33. "beauty is only skin deep but ugly is to the bone"34. "the blacker the berry,the sweeter the juice"35. "one falsehood spoils a thousand truths"36. "the shortest distance from one to another is a straight line"37. "nothing comes to a sleeper but a dream"38. "let your conscience be your guide"39. "soon found,soon lost"40. "the bird knows where the worm goes"41. "meditate and light will surround you"42. "fly with your belly up and you will always face the sky"43. "when everyone has everything there is nothing left for the future"44. "prayer changes things"45. "nothing ceases to exist"46. "get out of the kitchen if you can"t stand the heat"47. "randomness is the friend that gives us order"48. "all things that can,will happen"49. "consciousness of being is always a miracle"50. "before your search begins to fold,please let me take you to the gold,are you a racist, a friend or foe,search your heart please before we go"51. "when we enter the yard of success we learn to measure by things other than reality"52. "age old beings inhabit us, giving us the will to atone"53. "the inner glow of the people will dazzle the negative scene"53. "become yourself and your time will never end"54. "spiritual guidance is the art of making a being become what he is"55. "you can never be free while holding a grudge"56. "It is easier to glorify God than to love God"57. "LA ILLAHA ILLA'LLAH" {there is no God but God}58. "the secret of secrets is in meditation"59. "never wage war on your shadow"60. "the lonesome bird flies low"61. "the proof is in the pudding"62. "give us this drum,and let us move forward through this because it belongs to us,the original the members of the first cast"63. "buying into the hopelessness of the fascist is like living without life"64. "so I went up on that mountain and I talked to everyone, toward me came a prophet with gifts in his hands he said"here,take this and I'll return tomorrow and we all will go everywhere"65. "the floods come and go and the cycles continue all things change according to karmic dictations"66. "random is essence deliberate in it's actuality"67. "you are the Mother of mothers,and the Mother of fathersthe One with the answer for all through you I see the unseeable, and know the unknowable" The Journey by Aashid HimonsI can see the shimmer of the white caps on the sea dancing in the morning sun as Iboard this luxurious flying vessel named Tanyika, filled with our gold.Hopefully the gold will aid in our survival and it will make a good impression on those we encounter when we reach the Islands of Magic and Mist.I look behind me and I see the city of David.I can hear the kings harp loud and clear.My voice instinctively joins in the song of the voyage that is before us.To my left is my son,to my right is my daughter,up above my head is my angel,and in my heart is God.This flying ship called Tanyika has wings covered with tonti (metal) and luz (light).Solomon the King was already on board when I arrived.He had some final instructions for the Hemans that were chosen to embark on this adventurous undertaking.He also told the porters what was expected of them.He told us of the people we would meet, the places we were expected to settle and the songs we should teach and the secrets we should guard,the food we should eat.He also outlined the stories we should pass on to our children so that we may continue in the traditions of the ancient Habirus (Hebs.) dating from the dawn of consciousness, streaming into the sunset of eternity.The King then raised his hand and pointed to the center and said, " on that table is a stone that seems to shine and twinkle".The King was patient and quiet while all two hundred and thirty seven of us took time to inspect the stone, and then he told us," this stone iswhy you are going on this mission".I was so mesmerized by the stone I forgot where I was and that's when the Kings voice rang out ,"Okay,you can all come back now. Maybe now you can understand the importance of these stones.We will keep our powers as a people as long as we have them in our posession,and we don?t need all of them,we just need a constant supply . And so my dear servants,you will find these powerful rocks some where on the Islands of Magic and Mist".The King called Solomon sat down on his throne made of gold.I could tell by the look on his face he had more to say."As for the crew, I want you to keep this ship in top condition so there can be Odube(black) stones transported here as often as possible. I need them to impress my seal upon, so we may continue to prosper".I heard him say "shalom" as six giant porters lifted the throne and the King to their shoulders and proceeded to exit the Holy Ship,a ship annointed by the son of David, passed onto us from the Mother planets of yore.I could hear the rhythms of the rattles as the wives and concubines joined him on the other side of the vessel.What he told them I dare not ponder.It is in his wisdom we trust and with his love we are fulfilled. Suddenly I heard the women shout ,"long live Solomon",the rattles ceased and the Heman elders began to sing of the Ark and the Covenant and as all the Hemans started singing, I realized our journey was about to begin.I knew we would soon be arriving in a new land, not just to visit, but to inhabit. My stomach was churning with anticipation. As we rose above the hilltops I saw the King and our children returning to the palace,where they will be cared for until we are stable enough to send for them.I said goodbye to the Holy Land of my ancestors and I embraced the new land for the future generations of the Haribu Hemans Klan.Seven hundred and eleven women, two hundred and thirty seven men landed in peace on the Isles of Magic and Mist. The Walking Flowers by Aashid HimonsThe golden sun surrounded the presence of all as our craft touched down on what from then on was considered Holy soil to be remembered and returned to during the entirety of our stay in this new sacred land.The music stopped and the doors snapped open and the cool fresh breeze blew across my face giving me an inner feeling of well being which I had only felt once before and that was on a visit to the valley of Kush when I was merely a child of ten years. Just at that moment I heard a voice say "Ahaamdi lead the way. Yes, yes we are ready to venture forward," said a young woman named Almata. So I, Ahaamdi of Heman, born in a cave under the Falls of Ra, stood to pour libation and proceed to lead my family to the promises of this Holy land. The green colors and the black tree trunks were surrounded by flowers, some taller than me. The trees were so tall the tops were unable to be perceived by the eye without climbing or hovering. The beautiful reds and yellows and pinks and purples and blues and many colors I had not seen before seemed to be arrayed in perfect order on these giant flowers. A rhythm and a melody started dancing in our heads and suddenly a new song was born. The drummers moved closer as the ancestors warmth was felt by each klan member and the body movement embraced us all. Almost to a frenzy the spirit uplifted us, this is the religion of the ancient times. My voice choked as I exclaimed, "what is that, is that a flower singing and dancing and walking toward me?" All of the family was so in the spirit they didn't notice what was happening right in front of their eyes. We were being encircled by what seemed from a distance to be beautiful flowers. Now I could see that they had eyes and arms and legs. "These are people," I shouted with total immediacy. The song stopped and the flowers smiled and held out one hand each, as if they wanted for some reason to touch us in curiosity. In the next moment we reached to touch them for exactly the same reasons. I guess we looked as strange to them as they did to us. No one was speaking or uttering a sound and there was a collective communication beyond the use of vocal words. Talking without words or sounds had always been in the Heman line but we also liked to talk and sing with sound. Clearer and clearer became the mental communication between the Hemans and the Flower People, as we strolled along on what I later understood to be a tour of these unbelievably friendly forests and hills. The realization came to us through our ecstasy that we had left the ship and not said anything to the crew. They are not of our line and may not have picked up on the perception that was happening. They also are under Solomon's orders not to leave the ship unguarded for any reason. It's the only one of it's kind on this planet, a gift from the ancient Mother of Mu to help us in our survival and to spread Her Holy Word of peace and love through just outcomes. As we turned around to see the path back to the ship of the Holy Mother, the biggest flower silently said," my name is Shatoja and we are the Black Dubhaas and we inhabit the whole Hinbon Irer, which ends at the beginning of the Mutata Irer,inhabited by the Red Tontans, on the coast that continues to our other side.We only use the spoken word with song and music and we would appreciate it if you would do the same while here in the Hinbon. You are welcome to stay as long as you like, but if you are looking for something to take away, you must leave something of equal value. And we determine the value." The elder Mother Jamawila Hemman from the mind spoke up and said," we will respect your ways as long as they are in the order of and don't conflict with our teachings which we will also give to you and maybe it will enhance what you already have." We had been walking and by this time the sound of the Holy Ship was near. there were no signs of trouble and I was very relieved. I am the one that must take the responsibility for absent mindedly walking away because of the intense minding necessary on our first encounter with the Black Dubhaas. A voice came from the distance I recognized to be that of Captain Damatunu of Jeduthun the woman in charge of the Holy Vessel and the daughter of Jeduthun the King's seer. Loudly she yelled,"why did you leave" It worried, baffled and confused us, but I see now you're alright." Looking directly at Shatoja my mind said to him,"You understand I have to use sound now?" He nodded approvingly and now it seemed the appropriate time to say our farewell to the crew. Some kisses and hugs and last minute requests and lift off would be as soon as we get a little relevent information on the availability of, and access to, the Odube stones. As I swung around to ask the Dubhaa leader about the possibilities of getting a few to send King David's anointed son, Solomon. To my surprise the King of the Flower people had vanished. I sent a signal of telepathy and from Shatoja an answer came almost immediately."You are the ones we have expected since one thousand years ago. We were told by our forefathers and mothers that a white, fiery circle would announce your return and that music will fill the air. You are the Haribu Heman from the tribe of Judah, we welcome you.The smell of your herbs is intoxicating, and your hearts are as strong and tender as that of a Dubhaa. You have the Or (gold) and we have the Odube. A trade agreement is possible only if it's fair to all. Wisdom, music, herbs, rituals, art and mating are items also worth considering for barter. So build your homes right therewhere you entered and we shall live as neighbors in peace. By this time tomorrow our first exchange will be underway and the road to prosperity is straight ahead. Stay in our minds and we will stay in yours, we will not lose love as the future of our children moves toward us." Impressions of elation spread among the Flower ( Dubhaa) klan,the Haribu Hemans and the Haribu Jeduthun crew. "On the way and all the way to the heavens we honor the King of Israel," the chant from the inner voices of my brethren rang more powerfully than I had ever heard it ring before. "We have entered a hallowed land of peace and plenty, neither of which exists in Judah, Israel or Syene. The gods of the overworld have blessed us and Jah is the overseer of all creation.Let us gather wood now, the night is approaching without a moon and with a chill. After the first shipment of Odube is on it's way to His Imperial Majesty, I would like meet the Red Tontans. I can only hope they are as enlightened as the Black Dubhaa."A refreshing aroma was in the air as darkness descended, and the canopy of the forest protected us from the full force of the misty rain Now I understood why we had always called these, the Islands of Magic and Mists. The Great Spirit Birdby Aashid HimonsAs it soared into the canyon,I saw the shadow firstThen I noticed it was coming my wayI stepped aside to get a better look. When I felt the action swarming all around my head. I stood up to be recognized by the altered beings aheadI wasted not a moment in their footstepsAlthough I certainly wondered how that might feel. Wish away the lies but keep the tunnelsAn alternative is good to have aroundMany things are considered to be spiritI have the essence inside of meIt is essential that we all realize our spiritualityWe must reach the bright light which is eternalAnd wash our faces in love The essence is inside you and you know it. Stretch out your hand and claim it. The moment of love never goes awayIt's just many times ignored. Appreciation of love is also living it. Spread the love as you soar, oh great bird of the canyon, my spirit dances with yours, oh great spirit bird thanks for the light you bring, and all the special favors that come with the sight always stay in my dreams, bring pleasure to my resting hours,awaken me to things I don't know, lead me to the path that was chosen, show me the stream that flows through forever reaching the energy entrance, the core starts to glow. The heat is all consuming and cool approache, It's presence is applauded by all who know and care.Rasta by Aashid Himons The beings of Rasta are positive. The beings of Babylon are negative. Rasta is living in grace.To be rhythmic, melodic, and harmonious on all levels is to live in grace.How can I live in grace when I'm hungry being shot at, and constantly oppressed? In order to transcend Babylon we must find our work and live in grace. Work is the answer, not jobs. How many of us enjoy the jobs we have? We must create our own work. Perform services for each other. Don"t wait for someone to hire you. We are bigger than we think we are. We are capable of surviving as a species, and we must do our work with a positive attitude, that"s the key to success and happiness. A positive attitude is very hard to maintain in this dark, negative environment. The negativity is something many of us enjoy. We participate in the lust, greed, the drugs, the racism, The capitalism,the imperialism, and the treachery of the Babylon system around the world. When we talk about the problems of the world, why is the question so often "what can I do? I'm only one person?" What you can do is wake up! We are all one person. You are not alone in your lack of awareness. So seek to be more aware. The road to awareness has many curves, mountains, valleys and potholes winding through centuries of truth and lies. So what can one person do? Search for the truth and share it!

Additional Info contributing artists - Aashid, Giles Reaves, Todd Gerber, Scott Bonner, Jason Pierce, Tony Gerber, & Matumbe Himons

Location Nashville, TN - USA

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