As a community, we are all aware that the media is run by a select few who intentionally push a destructive and toxic narrative towards our communities. These narratives ultimately harm our communities and make it very difficult for people to recognize what it truly takes to organize as a community and make a positive change for our people. Opo’s Canon plans to organize and orchestrate different media projects and spaces that will benefit our surrounding communities. We are putting time and energy to cultivate our communities ourselves rather than simply waiting for their potential assistance. The SoundWater Initiative is our attempt to be an example of a strong community held together by strong ideals.
Each artist is expected to complete 1 campaign/project per year that aligns with the SoundWater Initiative by highlighting at least 1 pillar while subsequently respecting the other pillars in order to initiate the Birth of a culture of people with these shared ideals:
Pillars of
SoundWater Culture
- The Humanization of all People.
- Understanding the being, function and importance of language and the process of translating thought to action.
- Equality and the understanding that people are only superior in subjective contexts. Superiority is not innate.
- Understanding of our impact on the ecosystem and recognizing the earth as a member of our community.
- Grace for Ignorance but Strength in Ideals
- The recognition of the mind, body and soul as different systems that make up One’s Being, and the careful nurturing of each.
- Strengthening healthy communication practices
- Creating a sense of interdependence within our communities/combating the hyper-independent lifestyles of Capitalist America
- The Encouragement and Cultivation of Innovation, Experimentation and New Art Forms
SoundWater History
- On November 1st, 2022, Rapper and Hip-Hop Artist Takeoff had tragically passed away in Houston Texas. It had been reported that he had died in the middle of a dice game, where money had been gambled before weapons had been drawn. OpotheBoat, who was very fond of the Migos Rap group at the time, was personally devastated by the news. There was one question that could not escape his mind- How could something so tragic happen? After a growing string of young male deaths in the hip-hop world, the pain of seeing significant figures getting murdered was growing more and more difficult to ignore. Yes, it is understood that the rapper may have been gambling, but someone of Takeoff’s wealth? Wealthy people gamble and bet all the time. How could something like this happen? But after the disbelief finally passed, the answer was just as painfully clear to Opo as it was to the rest of the world- it was the Culture.
- As much as he wanted to sit in disbelief, it was very hard to ignore the culture and environment in which Takeoff had passed in. An environment that glorified drug usage, gambling and ultimately cultivated a sense of fear that would generate people to believe that there is a need for guns and or violence at all times being present in those spaces. These are the environments in which modern media often imprison black and brown bodies by imposing a certain narrative and image on us as consumers.
- “As a community, we are all aware that the media is run by a select few who intentionally push a destructive and toxic narrative towards our communities. These narratives ultimately harm our communities and make it very difficult for people to recognize what it truly takes to organize as a community and make a positive change for our people. Opo’s Canon plans to organize and orchestrate different media projects and spaces that will benefit our surrounding communities. We are putting time and energy to cultivate our communities ourselves rather than simply waiting for their potential assistance. The SoundWater Initiative is our attempt to be an example of a strong community held together by strong ideals.”
- The name SoundWater is written in the language Vague Terms, a language system developed by Opoku Boateng, also known as OpotheBoat. The language bases the perception of the Universe through four elements which are claimed to be the building blocks of human life as we understand it
- Air- Consciousness, Being, Connection to God, Inner God, Electromagnetism
- Earth- Reality, The Physical Plane, Strong Force
- Fire- Passion, Perspective, Righteousness, Belief, Weak Force
- Water- Space, Time, Thought, The Unknown, The Mind, Anxiety ultimately Gravity
- The name “SoundWater” vaguely would translate to “Safe Space” or “Harmonious Space” to convey the emotional connotation, but to directly understand it would be more of a “Vibrational Space”, where people are expected to be accepted but also with the understanding that all of our actions do have an effect or consequence in which we all wish to be cognizant of as conscious human beings.
- In order for SoundWater to actually survive and grow as a Culture or Movement, Opo’s Canon found that there was a need for firm boundaries, later known as Pillars, to be upheld and practiced in order to hold said community members accountable.
- Captain Opoku ”OpotheBoat” Boateng gathered with Bow Executive Lillian “Phoenyx” Ojo and Boatswain Executive Isaiah “Caliber” Conte gathered collaborated to develop the Pillars of Soundwater, a set of Pillars that they could all essentially come to agree to uphold within their shared spaces. The pillars are as follows
- The Humanization of all People.
- Understanding the being, function and importance of language and the process of translating thought to action.
- Equality and the understanding that people are only superior in subjective contexts. Superiority is not innate.
- Understanding of our impact on the ecosystem and recognizing the earth as a member of our community.
- Grace for Ignorance but Strength in Ideals
- The recognition of the mind, body and soul as different systems that make up One’s Being, and the careful nurturing of each.
- Strengthening healthy communication practices
- Creating a sense of interdependence within our communities/combating the hyper-independent lifestyles of Capitalist America
- The Encouragement and Cultivation of Innovation, Experimentation and New Art Forms
- These Pillars are written also in vague terms, essentially meaning that all valid definitions of each word applies, to allow the pillars to give a broader range of application while still being practiced.
- Past SoundWater Events Include
- Art Auction
- Creating a Sense of Interdependence within our communities/Combating the hyper-independent lifestyles of Capitalist America.
- The Encouragement and Cultivation of Innovation, Experimentation and New Art Forms
- Cater
- Creating a Sense of Interdependence within our communities/Combating the hyper-independent lifestyles of Capitalist America.
- The Humanization of all People.