One World Tribe
5 May 2010 by Ross Scarano in Music
Erie, PA, our rusty northern cousin is a hotbed for reggae-funk-afrobeat-fusion. No, seriously – it is. OK, hotbed may be an exaggeration, but there is at least one reggae-etc. band blowing up Erie (and the surrounding area) with grooves and a positive message of global harmony. They go by the name of One World Tribe, and on June 7 they’ll preach in Pittsburgh, showering Three Rivers Arts Festival patrons with funky rhythms, luminous vocal harmonies and lyrics brimming over with hope.
When PA-native Kennedy Thompson formed One World Tribe, he wanted something bigger than music. The weird thing about clichés is that they lose their triteness when actually put into practice. It is easy enough for an artist like Thompson to claim “music with a message,” but to realize this is a remarkable feat. Thus, when he brought together the ethnically diverse men and women of One World Tribe, “music with a message” took on concrete realities, a nice sentiment become a powerful statement. One World Tribe members hail from Jamaica, Senegal, Sudan – diversity is woven into the band’s DNA.
Of course One World Tribe’s music demonstrates this as well. Seamlessly transitioning from roots reggae to George Clinton-esque funk to bracing hip-hop, One World Tribe enfolds music from all areas of the globe into their rainbow coalition of styles. Though their new album, Armed and Dangerous, is billed as the group’s hip-hop outing, a quick listen reveals that to be only part of the truth. While it’s true that Armed and Dangerous features more rapping than their previous albums, it’s not a straight-up hip-hop record. And that’s no diss. It’s only that One World Tribe’s style is too expansive to be restricted by genre requirements. Listen to the album’s centerpiece, “Yagnimone;” the nine-minute number dabbles in smooth jazz, African chanting and much more, resulting in something too gigantic to be called strictly hip-hop.
For the listener unaccustomed to hip-hop, this is a relief. But for hip-hop heads, fret not – the verses are satisfactory and many. In this way, One World Tribe casts a large net of appeal. Fans of reggae, soul, funk, hip-hop – they’ll all be pleased. And anyone that can appreciate a large band, nine members all told, coming together as a unit, supporting each other, shining together – it just goes without saying that all of Pittsburgh should be at this show.
One World Tribe
7:30pm, Monday, June 7
Dollar Bank Stage at Point State Park