kinobe

back in the spring i posted (bottom of the post) about an amazing show we experienced at leaf, kinobe and soul beat africa. during their performance in the kids village on mother's day, jasper walked right up on stage with them and greeted one of the musicians with a big bear hug around his leg! the sweet soul scooped jasper right up into his arms and kept going. at the time, he was doing a little call and return chant. he couldn't get jasper to do it. so, he switched it up and began chanting *mo-mmy, mo-mmy*. jasper joined right in! it was mother's day and this special moment brought tears to my eyes and touched me in a way i will never forget.
when i learned that sienna's class had the opportunity to work with kinobe (pronounced “CHI-NO-BÉ”) for a one day workshop, i was overjoyed. he is an incredibly gifted musician and one of the brightest, warmest souls i have ever encountered. he has been traveling internationally since he was 10, he makes all his own traditional instruments, and provides workshops for children all over the world.

he worked with sienna and her classmates on a thursday. that afternoon, when jasper and i went to pick her up from school, kinobe was standing out on the deck. jasper zoned in on him right away and asked, *who is that man, mommy?* i reminded him about his spring encounter with him and his face lit up.

we carried on our way, gathering sienna and her things and heading back to the car. all the while, jasper never took his eyes off kinobe. when we reached the car, i attempted to buckle him into his car seat. he began to resist, trying to get out. ms joy wandered up and we became engaged in conversation while i distractedly continued wrestling my son back into his seat.

after a few minutes of this, i released him. he was nearly jumping out of the car by this time and pointing. i thought he wanted to see ms joy, but he was pointing beyond her to kinobe. i took him back up to the deck where he stood and watched for a moment as the big kids were close to kinobe. as soon as there was an opening, he darted in and embraced him fervently! i told kinobe who we are and he remembered that show vividly, saying that it had made a big impact on the band, too, and that they had talked of jasper often.
jasper would have let kinobe hold him for hours, i am sure of it. i was able to move him along knowing that we would see kinobe again in two days when he performed for the school's fall festival. on that day, jasper held us on the deck for possibly 45 mins while the band set up. he wanted to stay near this beautiful soul.

while they performed, he was glued right in front and would interact with kinobe between songs. when the music was finished, he ran to kinobe once again. the two of them embraced and kinobe took him to greet his band mates. jasper grasped his neck so tightly and just held there in a firm embrace. it warms my heart in a way i can not describe to see this connection between these two!again, jasper would easily have sat here for hours, i know it. when he is with kinobe, he rarely speaks. he just is. content and blissful. it's as if they have been reunited. what do you think?

the band has just finished up their tour and are heading home, but kinobe is still in north america on solo tour. if you have the chance to see him, do go! you won't be disappointed.