Dispatch deserves their own post.

This morning, there was a comment from Brian Vander Ark's new record label, Second Motion Records out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on my blog. They commented on my post of rantings about some of my favorite music, thanking me for helping promote BVA.

While rereading that post, I realized I hadn't posted a link to the Dispatch song, Elias. I wanted to share it with you. So, I searched this morning and liked the video I found so much that I think it (and the story behind it) deserves its own blog post.

As I understand it, Elias is a man from Zimbabwe who Chad Urmston, a member of Dispatch, met when he lived in the country in 1994.

I'm told the first 3 verses are in sung in Shona, a language spoken in Zimbabwe. The first part deals with friendship and means that when you're feeling bereft of hope, don't be afraid to lean on your friends to get you through.

The second part is a typical greeting in Zimbabwe which asks, "Are you strong?" The reply is, "I am strong if you are strong." And then the greater replies, "I am strong."

Knowing Elias, along with his wife, Servi and their sons Honest, and Manuel had a strong impact on Urmston. This song and the Elias Foundation are just two results of their inspiration.

Today, I also found the website for the Dispatch Foundation, whose mission is: To empower people everywhere. To build communities. To reach people in places like Zimbabwe where the world needs to respond. Because everyone should have a song in their lives.

After watching a video where the band asked me to Join Zimbabwe's Song, I responded by adding my name to a letter, signing a petition and now I'm telling a friend.

Will you Join Zimbabwe's Song?

All this inspiration was found thanks to Second Motion Records's comment on my blog. I look forward to catching up on Brian Vander Ark's latest music and checking out Athenaeum and Gemma Hayes, two artists on their label they said I would surely like based on my musical taste. Who knows, maybe soon I'll be writing about the way they have inspired me too.