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Who
were the Arawak Indians?
The Arawaks were the very first Bahamians who lived on the beautiful beaches of the Bahamas.
How
did they live?
The Arawaks lived a calm, peaceful life. These gentle people survived off of the land and the sea, and they fully respected nature.
Where
are they now?
Their entire population has been wiped out by those who claim to have discovered the land where the Arawaks once lived...But their souls are peacefully resting with their Zemi gods
The Plot
The plot centers around three Bahamian children who are taken back to the adventurous time of the Arawaks, via a big old magic book. The three children, who soon won the hearts of the Arawaks, get to witness the calamities brought on by the many rogue travelers who landed on the peaceful shores of the Arawaks.
The Music
The musical selection for this production, all written by Esau Mckenzie, comprises lively songs with catchy melodies. Songs are arranged for full orchestra and SATB.
The Animation
3D animation will be used to portray the story of the Land of the Gentle People. We hope to use college level animation students to assist with the rigging and adding of motion to the various models. Our team is excited about this particular project because of the interesting characters and how their roles are translated through animation throughout the various scenes
About our projectGP
Land of the Gentle People is a musical originally written by Mr. Esau Mckenzie in 1992 for Tambearly School. The late husband of the principal, Mr. Terence Langford, had commissioned Mr. Mckenzie to write a musical for the Quincentennial Celebrations of Columbus' first landing on San Salvador, The Bahamas. The stage production was first performed by the talented students of Tambearly School, during that same year, at the Crystal Palace Theatre on Cable Beach, New Providence. The students' performance was a hit! Years later, Esau Mckenzie revised and updated this production. Once again, Tambearly students will get to perform Land of the Gentle People in 2018, in their very own theatre, for the school's summer production. The performance will be recorded live, and the footage will be used to help animators create an adaptation of the stage production into an animated feature. We are grateful to the school's principal, Mrs. Alice Langford, for her support and dedication to this project.
About the ProducerGP
Esau E. Mckenzie
CEO, Emac Studio
"
Esau Mckenzie is a musician, playwright, song writer and arranger who has produced many works for schools around the Bahamas. He especially enjoys working on stage productions and musicals.
Arieto
Arieto is the opening song sung by the Arawaks. In the Arawakan language, it means to sing and dance.
Welcome Feast
This is a celebration song performed by the Arawaks in honour of the three children, who found the Cacique's lost son.
Catch a Man
The Cannibals belt out this tune as they rush through the Arawak village and capture the Arawaks one by one.
Tierra,Tierra
This song is sung by Christopher Columbus. The melody of this colourful song is reminsicent of the beat of tango music.
We'll Make a Home
When the Puritans first landed on Eleuthera, one of the islands of the Bahamas, they were destitute people, having just survived a shipwreck. This songs tells of their journey.
We're Bloody Buccaneers!
Some of the most infamous pirates once walked the shores of the Bahamas. This song, sung by the pirates, allows each pirate to tell their story through music.
CharactersGP
The characters will be designed by a professional animation company that will be given the task of creating never before seen 3D models that depict the unique traits of each character.
Our goal is to find one sponsor for each character. In return, during the showing of the film next year, each sponsor will be highlighted during the launch and in the film's credits. The company's special brand will be associated with their sponsored character.
PartnershipGP
We aim to complete the animation for Land of the Gentle People by summer 2019! This project is completely dependent on sponsorship. Please feel free to reach out to us if you would like to be a sponsor for one of the main characters!