Video Of Poem By Teenage Barack Obama Invites Scrutiny

In 1981, a young college sophomore named Barack Obama (then known as Barry) submitted two poems to the Occidental College literary magazine.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 20, 2008 -- In 1981, a young college sophomore named Barack Obama (then known as Barry) submitted two poems to the Occidental College literary magazine. One was a description of his grandfather, who had helped raise the boy in the absence of his biological father. The other was an odd atmospheric piece about apes eating figs and cavorting in water-filled caverns.

This last short poem, called "Underground", has now made it to YouTube, by way of a video created by the Blue Rose Arts Collective, a graphic arts and film co-op with members in six countries.

In addition to Obama's verse, the video displays footage of Japanese snow monkeys, representing the apes in the poem. These are the same simians who revolutionized biologists' conceptions of
primate behavior, when, starting in the 1960's, individuals were observed learning new survival techniques, such as cleaning potatoes, bathing in hot springs, and salting food, which then
spread rapidly among other troop members.

The accompanying music is "Jalak Putih" by the Nyoman Jayus Bamboo Ensemble. They play a type of Indonesian music called "Jegog", which is only found in the province of Jembrana on the island of Bali.

After a catastrophic 1994 earthquake, Nyoman Jayus was the only traditional Jegog group which survived, making them a sort of cultural ambassador from the past.

The video may be seen at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=LRBl4QJC9GU

Contact information:
Noli Fernandez
Blue Rose Arts Collective
3170 Bonita Road
Bonita, California, 91910
(626) 230-8862
http://worldmindnetwork.net

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