Plunky & Oneness presents Music for Change, a virtual concert of timeless songs for trying times. Recorded in our hometown, Richmond, VA in 2020, this is Afro-Jazz funk music for progressive people. (Please like, share, comment, subscribe and visit www.plunkyone.com)
This is the season of our discontent, the televised revolution of our arduous path, the crescendo of our 400 year movement. 2020 is our new 1968 (or 1929 or 1918). “Black lives matter” is the slogan of these woke times. It is the sentiment of a woke world, where woke people see the incongruity of global wealth and extreme poverty, and see the inappropriateness of white privilege in the same space as injustices against people of color.
These are songs for this political season, some written recently and some released decades ago. Some are of today and some are recalled from yesteryear. All of this is message music: timely and timeless.
With many of our earliest Oneness of Juju/Black Fire recordings currently being reissued into the international marketplace, we find ourselves revisiting songs and messaging that we created some 40 years ago. Some of our songs released this year were written recently, but could have described needs and exhortations in 1975. So, it occurs to us that these could be anthems, or at least songs that can be sung en masse, by large choirs or gatherings of people, bound together by mutual coinciding aspirations.
“This Is Our Time” (1988) speaks of days and ages that belong to us collectively. It says we can use our ways and means to move forward. Yes, we should coalesce around the idea of joining together and moving forward. This means we should urge and remind each other, “Don’t Be Afraid of Freedom,” to let loose our in-check mindset, and get our minds set to be free. And like Trane urged: seek and emulate a love supreme.
“African Rhythms” (1975) reminds us that we are all African people moving to beats of music made like love. And when we dance and clap our hands and party and revel in our spirit, we ain’t nothing but the truth.
“I know the world seems “Crazy Lately,” (2018) but don’t worry about a thing. We’re going to be all right.” Yes, the daily news is more than a bit disconcerting. Demented politicians and conspiracy theorists and naysayers have it all wrong. If we can stay focused on exhibiting our humanity and looking for it in others, then the odds are, there are enough of us advanced souls to assure good will triumph.
But truly, it’s up to you and me to “Make A Change” (1981) by living up to our ancestors’ faith and highest ideals. They retained a natural instinct for doing their best to progress so that we, their progeny, could do better than they could ever imagine. They didn’t even have television, the internet, solar power, interplanetary exploration, genome study nor viral immunology, but it is their blood flowing through our veins and their dreams that we won’t let die.
These are the songs we selected for this playlist. While they deeply resonate during these trying times, I find myself reluctant to accept their profound validity, yet I am proud to embrace the strength of their declarative power. The idea that societies can progress while ignoring brutalization of entire segments of the populations no longer makes sense. Inching forward while ignoring assaults on fellow citizens or assaults on our freedoms is no longer an acceptable course of inaction.
We believe art should challenge and usher in unifying thought.
Hopefully, these songs will inspire more of us to take, continue to take, and keep taking action!
CREDITS:
Artists: Plunky & Oneness
Producer/Musical Direction: J. Plunky Branch
Audiovisual Production: Pro Team Production
Videography: Vincent Wynn
Venue: Pine Camp Theater, City of Richmond, VA
Creative Director: Patrick Mamou
Social Media Marketing: DJ Punisha
Re-editing and Audio Remixing: J. Plunky Branch
Voice Over Announcer: Patrick Mamou
Musicians:
J. Plunky Branch – vocals, saxophones, percussion
Charlayne Chyp Green – Lead vocals
P. Muzi Branch – vocals, bass
J. Fire Branch – electronic percussion, tracks
Fabian Lance – keyboards
Carl Lester El – guitar
Asante – African percussion
Kala Page – vocals
Ty Onley - drums
www.plunkyone.com
