The production of Tambo began with a sample from an improvisation by Chinese OneBeat Fellow Meng Qi on synthesizers and Egyptian Tarek Elazhary on Oud. This instrumental track was then developed into a beat by OneBeat Co-Founder Jeremy Thal, and vocals were added later by Greensboro-based rapper Justin Harrington (aka Demeanor). Justin describes the story behind the piece as “a merging of not just genre, but era and legacy. Some of the characters whose perspective I was rapping from --“Mr. Bones” and “Tambo”-- are representative of the minstrel era in America.” “Tambo” asks the question: “If the voices from back then could really defend themselves, what would they say?”
credits
from OneBeat Mixtape 19,
released March 17, 2020
Written by Justin Harrington + Jeremy Thal
Demeanor - Vocals
Meng Qi - Synths
Tarek Elazhary - Oud
Jeremy Thal - Production
Recorded by Jeremy Thal
Mixed by Christopher Botta + Jeremy Thal
Mastered by Jeremy Thal