[January 19, 2009] Disability Not a Stumbling Block for Liyana Tweet Jan 19, 2009 (Zimbabwe Standard/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- LIYANA, an afro-fusion musical band was part of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus where they were involved in a songwriting project together with five-gifted San Francisco School of the Arts students last week. Lennon Bus, a non-profit mobile education programme was co-founded by the Beatle's widow, Yoko Ono, to tour the country and bring music-making skills to youths everywhere. The tour has produced a song that was billed to be aired on Macworld, a channel dedicated to the Macworld Expo where Liyana, a band made up of disabled people who started from humble beginnings at King George V1 School of the disabled (KGV1) in Bulawayo, gave a performance. It was also posted on the John Lennon website (www.lennonbus.org). The song speaks about oneness and different cultures coming together. "We're so excited to meet this band," 17-year-old Natalie Cressman, A San Francisco School of the Arts student who pitched in vocals and a double-tracked trombone line, is quoted as saying. "They are truly amazing, and now that we've met I want this song to be really good. It's such a good message. It has to be good." The KGV1 band follows in the footsteps of Bongo Love a contemporary mbira band that captured America and was even featured on the Cable News Network (CNN). Matthias Bangure, the director of Music crossroads said: "It is positive that we are producing the best out of our people. "I am glad that the groups are finding their feet. That is what we are all about. Liyana has done us proud." According to the band's website a visitor to KGVI heard the band play. She then asked if she could do something special for them. Believing it was possible, they told her they wanted to come to America to perform. In the months that followed, they constantly dreamed about going to the USA. Knowing their music needed to be great should their dream come true, they practiced more than ever. Liyana never gave up. One day, to their amazement, the well-wisher returned to Zimbabwe and told them the good news: "You're going to America." Liyana's eight members are aged between 17 and 24 and they are all disabled. A plus is that their story has been so inspiring that Liyana is the subject of a new documentary, iThemba (My Hope). Directed by Roger Ross Williams, the documentary will be released later this year. The group has also performed at such prestigious venues such as the Lafayette, Oakland, Stanford University, Los Angeles and in New York City. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]