 So, and we have an awesome, awesome bunch of folks here who are braving it with us. And so, as we start this program, I just want to acknowledge the traditional native inhabitants of the land, the Abanakis. We reconcile fully with the truth and the practices of the native inhabitants to protect Mother Earth and the life it sustains. We acknowledge and offer respect to the natives of the land, which connect us from all cultural, social, and racial backgrounds. SHEDA Projects Incorporated acknowledges and respects that we do our work on Abanaki land. We commit to policies and practices of cultural equity to benefit current and future generations. And so, with that, we want to acknowledge that. And we are here at SHEDA Projects, and we were started by Jordan Mensa and Emmanuel Ruby Williams about 20 years ago, teaching West African drumming as a way to co-diversity and share their rich cultural and history. And the mission is to enrich the lives of young people through cultural education. We have an information booth down here, so please visit it to learn more about us. We've got some brochures. We're going to be doing a drumming classes in a couple of weeks, so we'd be happy to share and hope you come and learn a little bit more about SHEDA. And I'm going to introduce our chairman of the board to say a few words and welcome you. Thanks, Heather. I'm Rob Griffin on the chair of the board. As Heather mentioned, just wanted to add my welcome. We're so glad you're all here braving the rain. Hopefully it'll be a very little bit of rain, but great for your courage and support. As Heather mentioned, please join us at the information booth. We'd love to meet you. There's also a donation bucket there. You're welcome to help us to free the costs of this event. Also please enjoy the free pancakes, and also there will be free ice cream at the information booth. So come and enjoy that as well. It's especially wonderful for me to be celebrating diversity here. My family, although I'm a stranger to Vermont here only 50 years, my family had a farm off the Hudson for 300 years, and in that time we had so many people join us from other cultures that my father used to say, Rob, you've got a little bit of the whole world in you, and I think that's what we have today. A little bit of the whole world here in Vermont, here in the US, here in this celebration. Thanks again for coming and enjoy the, enjoy the performances. Julia Davenport, Julia and I have been playing taiko together for 16 plus years, it feels like. And let's see, it's our pleasure to be here as part of the extended drumming family to celebrate Shida's two decades plus of work and study and sharing and teaching in Vermont. The first taiko piece we played was written by my teacher, Mr. Seiichi Tanaka. He started teaching in 1968 in San Francisco, California, and looking at the population, the changing and growing population in the San Francisco Bay Area, he wrote this piece, Soko Bayashi. In 1972, he wrote Soko Bayashi to honor people from all over the world living together. Soko is a Japanese-American name for San Francisco Bay, Mulberry Bay. This next piece is credited to Tanaka sensei's teacher. And as drummers, our, our lineage and our, what is it, our, the history of our lineage is a really big part of the drumming voice that, you know, that we speak with right now. Oguchi sensei, my teacher's teacher, is credited with this next piece, Hiryu Sandan Gaeshi. It's calling a good luck dragon to three, to fly three times around Mapeulier and the Shida Project and bring good fortune. This piece begins with a recitation in old Japanese. These antiquaries are asking for assistance from the elders in the community and the ancestors in the community. Hiryu Sandan Gaeshi. Amite shite tatayamatsu. Omiya shio ni shio ni achio ni kami shizumarimasu. Kakemac mou ayani kashikoki, Takebina kata no okami, Yasaka tome no okami tachi no uzu no o mi mae ni. Imaashi mo furuki norino mani mani. Thank you. So that was Brilliant in Taiko and it's two pieces. Let's see. Shiga Project is offering school programs and classes on Brilliant in Taiko also. And please support the voices of community drum ensembles. Some of these ensembles really kick back and some ensembles are even brand new. Please support with your energy at concerts. And then if you know people who would be a good fit for classes, please send them to Shiga, to Brilliant in Taiko. Let's see. Brilliant in Taiko's classes in the middle sex are Thursday nights. We're in Camp Meade behind Red Hand Bakery. And we have gym break classes for kids and parents, same with Taiko. And we also have adult classes. Thursday mornings we drum for a dance class. This is a Cuban Haitian and now also West African dance class that's been going on since fall of 87. 10.30 am behind Red Hand Bakery if you'd like to join us. Micah and I, we are two of the members that drum for that class. And we will be now doing some Cuban and Haitian drumming. Test, test, 1, 2, 3. Let's see. So that's how you test the mic in Japan. I learned that when I was growing up. Let's see. So I'm Orisha from Santeria. Go by Julia Rose Studios because I bring my studio. This is where my studio is and I'm flattered to be a part of this festival. So I've got a handful of songs to play for y'all. Good mom, Pylio. Thank you to Shida for putting this all together. I go by Julia Rose Studios if you're interested in checking out anything that I'm working on. I actually have my first album coming out this summer and I'm going to play a song off the album. All of my songs are focused around navigating through this wild world and getting around obstacles that may come our way. And this song is called Every Different Day. It's coming up here when really it's just me playing solo. It's all live recorded through the electronics in my suitcase. Cool. I got two more songs. These next ones are going to be some songs you've probably heard before. I wanted to go back to the original that I played a second ago and just mention that the reason why I played it today is called Every Different Day and it's so great to be here celebrating our differences and the diversity that is here within Vermont. So Julia Rose Studios, flatter to be a part of this. Thank you, Shida, for having me. And I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the festival. Thank you so much. That was a classic jazz standard sung by Nina Simone. I'll pack it up but I'm excited to hang out here for the rest of the day and enjoy some other beautiful music. So thank you. We are ZJazz from Montpelier, Central Vermont, and including Burlington. We have members from all over. We're very grateful to be here and be part of this. We have a short little program for you of our jazz standards. We have Corey Beard on bass. Danielle O'Hallisy on guitar. Larry Damon, our leader on cornet. And today is a very special day as we know. Tomorrow even more so, but today is Larry's 87th birthday. 87 years old. Still gigging. Can you imagine that? And I'm Carl on drums. We hope, as I said earlier, that you enjoy our tunes. We called Bernie's tune. Bernie's tune. Folks, how about that Larry Damon? How about another round of applause for our birthday boy? 87 years old. Imagine that. 87. Today's his birthday. God love him. One last tune. Please don't be upset with us, but it's called on the sunny side of the street. Playing this afternoon because you know he's been raining for a while, so I don't know if it's a night time in the afternoon. One of the kind being the rain. All shine. Give your support. 100%. We love you. Thank you. I'm gonna share a song with you as you're all standing together. A very simple song. Call and respond. Easy. That you can repeat after me. Very popular song though. It goes like this. Just repeat after me. Fonga everybody. Fonga. Fonga. Alafiyah. Alafiyah. Ache Ache. Ache Ache. Fonga. Alafiyah. Ache Ache. Ache Ache. Everyone, as we have gathered here, we are sharing love, unity, and peace together. Another group is gonna take over and then we'll come back again. Don't go away. We love you. As you stay together with us, either rain or shine. Stick around. There's more coming. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. This is the Shida Projects Incorporated. We do drumming and dance, diversity. We go to schools. We teach them cultural values and educate them on cultural values. If you're a teacher, please feel free to visit our information booth unless arranged to come to your school. Drumming, bringing happiness. Drumming, dance. We also do African cooking and we do fabric printing. Kinte printing and everything that you can think of. Fun stuff. Thank you so much. Jesse Mallory. Give it up for Jesse. Jesse is still setting up in a minute. Brandy is here. Thank you. Expressively dance to a piece of music that is my original. It's Christine Harrison. I'm not sure about this mic stand. I want to say look up at this beautiful statue we have above us here. Beautiful goddess looking down on your town. Many of you have gardens. We out here have gardens. Alright, so you're like in the rain, right? I'm going to grab my capo from the... I want everyone to know this is my hometown. This is where I grew up, right here in Montpelier. So it means a lot to me to be here on this stage, in the state house. This is a song by a band called Stick Figure. So I walk up loans, got my headphones, got these beats. No one knows what I choose. I show notes. One of my own songs is called The Odyssey. I'd like to introduce my great friend and incredible artist, Sarah Grace. Sarah Grace is going to share the stage with me for this tune. So excited. Give it up for Jason Mallory. Thank you, sir. To see the diversity in our town is a wonderful thing and we all hope that we continue to see more people of all different kinds and colors and religions and cultures to come that we can learn from, learn from each other and really vision what our future is going to be together here on this planet that we have so much responsibility to take care of. So I got this song. I'm a singer, sir. And then we'll give it a C-H to some more folks. But thank you so much. It's such a pleasure to be up here. Once I lay under the moon And thank God I don't take me soon Because I'm here for a reason Sometimes when my tears are drawn But I never let it let me down So when negativity surrounds I know one day we'll be all innocent Blood drenched, babe Thank you for hanging around. We have a song. We have one music we're going to do with you to send me off after Sarah Grace plays shortly. Stay around. Thank you so much. She the drummer's friend today. My friend Daniel is going to sit in with me here which sort of changed up. What's your name? They all. She said she couldn't take it She couldn't take any pressure around And just couldn't sit like a prisoner Who needs to be free Wise men have listened to me honey Life could never be another day You never see smoke without fire I'm here to see the arts desire The woman is gone She's gone She's gone She's gone She made it to the Just couldn't take it She made it to the She just couldn't take it Know my children If you see me cry The woman is gone If you see me If she's gone She's gone Alright, go on, Daniel. You all, your smiling faces. Happy Independence Day. Kind of just changed up my whole set right before. I didn't know what I was going to get to play with these beautiful musicians. So, I'm going to play you the legend of John Henry. John Henry Is sitting on his mama's knee He said the big big tunnel Of the seat and old roller Gonna be the death of me love Is gonna be the death of me Use this, the John Henry Just hit your hand Or let it swing boy Just hit your hand Or let it swing Tell the shaker Would say give but don't just swing Cause I'm throwing 40 pounds From my hips on down Listen to that cold steel ring Just listen to that cold steel ring The jala pona Fuck, you're still on You're still building You're still like a man Sam or any guy Move your lips I'm having a blast. How are you guys doing? Doing original tune. Redemption song. Redemption. Alright. I haven't played this tune in a while, but I'm relying on cellular memory here. relationships Man it's after they took out From the bottom this pit But my head made strong We followed in this generation Try on you Help to save These songs of freedom It's all like a mission song Emancipate yourself from mental slavery None here for a dime and a chip Cause none of them can stop the time Don't shout, we kill our profits It's just a part of it We've got to fulfill Won't you help to save These songs of freedom It's all like a mission song Emancipate yourself from mental slavery None here for a dime and a chip Cause none of them can stop the time Don't shout, we kill our profits It's just a part of it We've got to fulfill Won't you help to save Redemption song Mission I really listen to Who has Worcester To save his own But listen to Who has Worcester To save his own Thank you so much. Thank you Jordan for putting this whole thing together. Come on. For people who plan this. A lot of them. You can't see them today, but some are hiding somewhere. But you made it happen because you stayed on And you defied the rain. We want to send you off with some dance. It's very cold, it's getting cold. So you want to warm up a little bit before you get home? Okay. Thank you. Please follow us on Facebook And then check Shida.com S-H-I-D-A-A Shida.com We want to connect with you And we want you to support us to go to the schools And promote diversity And teach children Cultural values And stuff like that. Thank you so much For coming. In the month of September We'll be having a big show At the first Congregational church In Berlin, you are invited To watch out on Facebook And on front-page forum We'll be announcing it We invite you And in December we'll have a big show again Thank you, Montpelier And for coming in this program Thank you all for coming