The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    Makana at APEC

    Hawaiian guitarist, writer and singer Makana has performed in the Obama White House. He is a well known and popular Hawaiian artist.

    He was invited to perform instrumental music at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)  in Honolulu Saturday. Instead he sang a song he had just written on the Occupy movement, "We Are The Many".

    Yahoo News, AFP, Singer Crashes Obama Summit:

    A popular Hawaiian recording artist turned a top-security dinner of Pacific Rim leaders hosted by President Barack Obama into a subtle protest with a song in support of the "Occupy" movement.

    Makana, who goes by one name, was enlisted to play a luau, or Hawaiian feast, Saturday night for leaders assembled in Obama's birthplace Honolulu for an annual summit that is formulating plans for a Pacific free-trade pact.

    But in the midst of the dinner on the resort strip Waikiki Beach, he pulled open his jacket to reveal a T-shirt that read "Occupy with Aloha," using the Hawaiian word whose various meanings include love and peace. He then sang a marathon version of his new song "We Are The Many."....

     

    Note to the AFP, Makana didn't 'crash' the summit, he was invited by Obama, who let him perform his piece without interruption or complaint.

    Makana explains his actions on a YouTube video:

     

     

    A fuller version can be heard at Democracy Now.

    Would George W. Bush have had this protestor carried out by the Secret Service? Put on the 'No Fly' list? Well, no, Bush wouldn't have set foot in Hawaii, or, if he had to, he likely would have had Hank Williams Jr. flown out with Koch money to perform.

    Makana, by his 'in your face' style, shows that we should believe in what we perceive to be right,  and not be afraid to express ourselves. He gave a voice to those in the Occupy movement.  He gave the message to the leaders of APEC nations and Obama, whether it was heard, or if they will listen, only time will tell. He deserves respect that for one day, he was the voice of the many in the presence of the few, the powerful.

    We Are The Many (lyrics)

    We come here, gather ‘round the stage / The time has come for us to voice our rage

    Against the ones who trapped us in a cage / To steal from us the value of our wage

    From underneath the vestiture of law / The lobbyists at Washington do gnaw

    At liberty; the bureaucrats guffaw / And until they are purged we won’t withdraw

    Refrain  

    We’ll occupy the streets, we’ll occupy the courts / We’ll occupy the offices of you

    ‘Til you do  /  The bidding of the many, not the few

    Our nation was built upon the right  /  Of every person to improve their plight

    The laws of this republic they rewrite /  And now the few own everything in sight

    They own it free of liability / They own, but they are not like you and me

    Their influence dictates legality  /  And until they are stopped we are not free

    Refrain

    You enforce your monopolies with guns / While sacrificing our daughters and sons

    Well, certain things belong to everyone / You’re thievery has left the people none

    So take heed of our notice to redress / We have little to lose we must confess

    Your empty words leave us unimpressed / A growing number join us in protest

    Refrain

    You can’t divide us into sides / And, from our gaze you cannot hide

    Denial serves to amplify / And our allegiance you can’t buy

    Our government is not for sale / The banks do not deserve a bail

    We won’t reward those who fail / we’ll not move ‘til we prevail

    Refrain

    We are the many, you are the few...

     

     

    Comments

    Statesman Makana,

    Thank you for singing your song.

    This is beautiful.

     

    And thank you for sharing this, NCD. It's truly inspiring.

     


    Thanks, for those who want to hear the whole 'We are the Many' piece, it is at this link at YouTube.


    This is really something!

    Give w some kudos for not sending Colbert to GTMO though. hahaahah

    Beautiful poem.

    Thank you