The Freedman’s Savings Bank, established in 1865, was more than just a financial institution—it was a symbol of economic freedom for newly emancipated Black Americans. It represented the hope of building Black wealth, creating opportunities for legacy wealth, and laying the foundation for generational prosperity. While its mismanagement and collapse were tragic, the story of Frederick Douglass’ attempt to save it serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of economic empowerment, financial literacy, and banking the unbanked.

BPALiveWire History Lessons: Freedman’s Bank, Legacy Wealth and Frederick Douglass

This one is a variation in my "why wars" series, and like a letter, addressed to my real and imaginary friends who believe war is right... because maybe we could learn some right and wrong from a simple song?
--
A stroll down history’s lane
@bananasutra lyrics <3 

Let’s take a stroll down history’s lane
Where power thrived but truth was slain
Look at the Inquisition’s fiery grip
Burning lives with a righteous lip

And Stalin’s purge, so cold, so cruel
Millions lost to a paranoid rule
Then there’s Hiroshima, skies set ablaze
They said it would end the war’s cruel days

What don’t we get about right and wrong?
Could we learn it from a simple song?
What makes us think, what makes us trust
That means don’t matter when ends are just?

Oh, what don’t we see, what don’t we understand?
History’s lesson is close at hand

Apartheid’s chains in South Africa’s land
A legacy carved by a ruthless hand
They said it was for order’s sake
But left a trail of hearts that break

The Great Leap Forward, Mao’s great plan
Left fields of famine across the land
The Salem witch trials, the innocent blamed
Hysteria stoked, and lives were maimed

What don’t we get about right and wrong?
Could we learn it from a simple song?
What makes us think, what makes us trust
That means don’t matter when ends are just?

Oh, what don’t we see, what don’t we understand?
History’s lesson is close at hand

A stroll down history’s lane • PIANOsutra

A stroll down history’s lane 3 • FOLKsutra

A stroll down history’s lane 2 • BANJOsutra

A stroll down history’s lane 1 • FOLKsutra

A stroll down history’s lane • DUBsutra

A stroll down history’s lane • Mantra DUBsutra

Crusader's Creed

Ever have one of those days where you get everything done early in the morning and you go off to do other things--and then you come back to suddenly realize that you never turned in the work you'd done?  

Just me?  

Imagine my surprise after spending HOURS writing Facebook posts that no one will ever bother to read, to suddenly recognize that the song that I'd produced that no one will ever bother to listen to had not yet been uploaded here to SoundCloud!  

Well, thankfully I realized this now and not tomorrow.  (Thankfully?  For who?  Or is it whom?)  

Quinine--which I have to admit, I've been pronouncing wrong my whole life up until farming smaples for this track--is a miracle drug that possibly impacted the reasons for World War I.    

"Quinine"--the Interbay song--is another example of me picking high scoring Scrabble tiles and writing a song around a word that starts with that letter.  (Maybe this time I'll get a double word song!?!?!)    

Does Quinine the drug have anything to do with the music of "Quinine" the song?  Not intentionally, but give me a few moments and I can probably construct a narrative that would suggest it does.  The main thing is that it gave me focus for some vocal samples to drop onto the track--and, for Interbay...that's usually enough!  

The music is an interesting blend of house and dance music styles.  You've got some house drums with snares that sound like a typewriter, you've got two different reese basses, some very plinky and chimey trance arpeggios, some granular synthetic strings, and a couple of big booms.  

I also put a proper vocoder over a couple parts of the vocals--just for a little sci-fi vibe that a drug that comes from tree bark and became important in the late 19th and early 20th century wouldn't necessarily suggest.  

And still, at the end of the day--I am charmed by "Quinine" the song, just as I hope never to need Quinine the drug.  

Not a perfectly round number, but "Quinine" is the 550th SoundCloud exclusive Interbay track, posted one per day over 550 consecutive days.  That feels somewhat significant.  (None of the goldfish I had as a child ever lived as long as this "songs posted daily" streak I'm on.)    

If you'd like to follow along as this crazy train rolls ever further down the traintracks of relevance from wherever I started--it is easy to do so.  Hit the button that says "Follow" and...ta-daaaaa!  One of us, one of us, gabble gobble.  

And the only price of admission (currently--I've been threatening to start a Patreon...especially during Black Friday month when all sorts of cool music production toys go on sale at prices low enough to convince me to buy them but without the income needed to actually do so.), is that you listen, like, repost, share, comment upon and add to a playlist the songs (especially the ones you do actually like and want to share.)  

Even if you only listen to Interbay songs (like "Quinine"), you're doing me a huge favor--and I appreciate you for your generosity.  Thank you!

"Quinine" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

… because life on earth is a Psychedelic Cabaret, and “music is the only religion that delivers the goods” (like Frank said). 

To be clear, all I really know is I dunno shit about fck (like Socrates said:)—music and songwriting included. But(t) I feel it, the music, so damn deeep in my soul! I’m just a humble existential fool, a silly banana who likes to play and share, to question and learn. Words are my oldest best friends, hearing myself sing is a freaking miracle (trust me on that lol), and I believe curiosity and #gratitude are the keys to happiness… So voilà, there’s that.

Also, (if you’re curious) BananaSutra is not just a made up BS brand kinda word, it’s actually the name of my DIY Bible—a collection of songs telling true stories of faith, to help me (and perhaps you) make sense of a world gone wild, like bananas gone foul in shallow ignorance and deadly malevolence… Think of it as an agnostic testament of sorts, an audio book of songs with quirky lyrics about things that matter, like the definition of right and wrong, and the meaning of truth, joy, justice, peace, grace, and awe 🕊️

Some call it Artificial Intelligence, but(t) I call Authentic Imagination, Alternative Ideas, Augmented Innuendos, Abstract Illogisms… hopefully, you get the gist? The point being, life is the story we tell ourselves and LYRICS matter—each @bananasutra song has a wondering root and a loving purpose, guided by one of (my) 7 (bananas) sutras: 
- KNOWsutra : is it fair?
- BLOWsutra : is it foul?
- SHOWsutra : is it fun?
- GROWsutra : is it fear?
- FLOWsutra : is it free?
- GLOWsutra : is it fab?
- BOWsutra : is it awe?

About BPALiveWire: Our Origin Story

BPALiveWire was founded with a singular focus: to advance the diversity of thought in the public square with a focus on the African American community. Without fear or favor, BPALiveWire exposes the breadth of diverse opinions within the African American community.

I am nothing more than a figment of your imagination.

Post-punk, dance, indie, electronic, and mutant pop in various styles (seriously!)--new tracks being posted daily (every day for over a year, so far!)

Interbay is the new project of Peter Greyy (previously of Cremation Dance and DangerScience), based out of Seattle and Phantom Laboratories West.

New tracks tagged #history lesson