A Music Festival for My Social Change Warriors

This Saturday, December 12th, We the People Inc. is sponsoring The First Guam Music Festival, which in addition to feature some local bands, will include the off-island acts of Ky-Mani Marley and Hawaiian group Ooklah the Moc. Click the link above for more details.

I'll be at the festival partially in order to hopefully catch Ky-Mani Marley's live version of my favorite and only known song of his "Warriors" and because I was told that there'll be several bouncy castles there that I can release Sumahi into and watch ricochet around. But the main reason that I'll be there is in order to bring out the "We the People" aspect of the concert. Most will go there in order to hang out, see Bob Marley's son play and also just listen to some good island and reggae music. But one of the main purposes behind this festival is to try and mobilize people to register to vote and to get people active and engaged for next year's election. I'll be manning a booth at the concert which will provide information and background on what sorts of problems Guam is facing right now, whether it be the military buildup, environmental problems, economic issues, educational issues, etc. I think its very important to get people registered and encourage them to vote, but that's the first and easiest step, getting them some decent knowledge is even more important, but getting them to the point where they are willing to go out and improve their community is even harder.

Part of the high points of the day will be actually getting to meet and spend some times with Ky-Mani Marley. In hopes of helping get people who attend fired up and interested in changing their island, myself and a few others will be meeting with Ky-Mani before he plays in order to give him a Guam history lesson, and try and help him understand what's going on with Guam right now, so that when he speaks between songs he can reference some of those issues and help call people to action. Ti puniyon na didide' i tiningo'-hu put este na taotao, lao hu tungo' ha' na lahin Bob Marley gui', ya esta gof matungo' gui' gi entre i manhoben na taotao, pi'ot i ya-niha umekungok Reggae na dandan. But regardless, if I do truly get to talk to and spend some times with Ky-Mani, I'm sure it'll make a great story to tell.

I'm hoping that this weekend, I find, even just a handful of people who are interested in becoming "change" warriors, or who are willing to join the different movements that are taking place on Guam today, and help push the people of this island as well as its leaders towards our own empowerment to the point where we feel that we can take care of ourselves, that we can solve our own problems and seek out own solutions for the future.