Leo2x - Kumbaya

Topic: Pandemic Versions
Virtual choirs could not exist if the hardware and software used by the major recording studios in the 1970s had not proliferated. [1]  Chris White, who produced Kyle Pederson’s video, owns a home studio that can record up to 48 tracks in remote locations. [2]  Ray Turner’s private studio could offer the New Seasons Ministry “pre-recorded, or custom made music” and merge their digital files into a demo recording. [3]

Even more important were the efforts by Steve Job in 2004 to release audio editing software comparable to that available for video files.  Apple’s current version of GarageBand includes virtual instruments, including percussion.  GarageBand makes it possible for any aspiring musician to create a piece of music in a digital format compatible with YouTube and other video streaming services. [4]

The enforced leisure time created by the COVID-19 pandemic did not lead to more attempts at demo recordings.  One may defer one’s desire to learn to play piano, but if one wants to be a professional musician, carpe diem rules.  One may never be as good as one is at the moment.

I found at least 60 versions of “Come by Here,” “Needed Time,” or “Kumbaya” were uploaded to YouTube by solo artists between April 2020 and March 2021. [5]  The number per month ranged from two in May to seven in April, October, November, January, and February.  The course of the pandemic did not seem to affect when people provided digital versions of their music.

The demographic profile was not altered much either.  Of the 46 videos that showing artists’ faces, 33 were men, 9 were women, and 4 included both.  Of the 37 where race could be discerned, 22 were whites, 14 were African Americans, and 1 had both.

YouTube is useful for publicity, but it provides no monetary return unless a performer has a version on one of the commercial streaming services.  Almost none of the new versions of “Kumbaya” or “Come by Here” uploaded to Amazon after 1 April 2020 was by a new artist.  Most have several albums already listed.

The leap from YouTube to professional status is less about money than it is about finding ways to attract the interest of viewers who spend their waking times in environments saturated with music offerings.  Leo2x chose Instagram ads as his medium of communication. [6]  The platform is owned by Facebook, and uses the same advertising program that allows the buyer to set his or her price. [7]  The maximum video length is 60 seconds, [8] and that appears to be all Leo2x created.

People scrolling through their Instagram accounts do not stop for a song; they stop if an image is striking. [9]  Leo2x created a simple cartoon of a forest with a monkey in a tree on the right, and a striding, male lion on the left.  In the center a man-child is wearing a yellow, hooded sweatshirt and yellow shoes.  The enlarged head has big eyes and dreadlocks.

I do not know when Leo2x scheduled his advertisements.  His video on YouTube was uploaded on 1 July 2020.  It now is 3:43 minutes long.  The extension mainly was done with repetitions of the original text, with small variations added.  The video has a little animation: the monkey and the lion move.

Up to this point he spent very little money, apart from whatever he used to produce the music and drawing.  His YouTube notes suggest it also was made available on SoundCloud and Audiomack.  Both are free.  SoundCloud was founded in Berlin, and may have a European audience. [10]  Audiomack seems to have a special connection with Nigeria and other parts of Africa. [11]

The video succeed in attracting interest.  People on YouTube asked him to put it on Spotify [12] and Apple Music. [13]

Now is when an artist must invest more money in hopes of reaching some kind of stardom.  Each streaming service has its own price structure.  A number of companies have followed CD Baby in negotiating fees with the video companies, and then charging users small fees to do the uploads.  One of the more popular, DistroKid, charges 19.99 a year. [14]

Payments vary for streaming services: Apple pays .0125 per stream, while Spotify pays .00543. [15]  Thus, it would take about 2,000 plays to cover DistroKid’s costs.

When Leo2x placed his animated video on YouTube he already was planning a larger investment.  He hired Johnny Rose to create a film.  This was during pandemic when regulations limited business activities.  Some of the footage appears to have been shot in Puerto Rico.  Since it only opened to locals on 11 June 2020, but still was closed to tourists, [16] it may have existed from an earlier project.

The original lyrics are ambivalent.  With the repetition of the same lines, it could be the fantasy of an adolescent boy who is unsure of how to interact with women.  The perception he is being taunted could occur with every woman he saw.

Popular videos prefer happy endings, and so Rose makes the romance explicit.  The same woman appears, and at the end the two join hands and walk away from the camera.

An alternative vision would have intensified the young man’s frustration until he killed some woman.  However, the sort of vilification of sex and women that underlies such scenarios is not universal.  It results from pressures from particular religious groups.  The difference is clear in the Spanish lyrics, which include phrases like “we dance very slow” and “touching your body mommy,” [17] that say what cannot be said in English in the United States.

Performers
Vocal Soloist: Leo2x
Vocal Group: none
Instrumental Accompaniment: none

Rhythm Accompaniment: rhythm loop with brushing sound and occasional notes by xylophone and animal sounds

Credits
August 21 video
© 2020 Leo2x. All rights reserved.

Notes on Lyrics
Language: English and Spanish
Basic Form: two verses repeated numerous times, with slight variations

Verse Repetition Pattern: A-A-A1-A-B-A-A-B1-B1-B1-B1-A-A-A2-B-B2-B2-B2-B1 where A is in English and B is in Spanish

Ending: repeats “kumbaya” twice

Unique Features: uses Spanish to make erotic intent explicit without offending English speakers

English
Verse Length: 4 lines

Verse Rhyme Pattern: all lines rhyme, country/monkeys/taunt me/want me.  The one line that does not have that end rhyme has an internal rhyme: lies/eyes

Line Meter: anapest (xxX)
Line Length: usually nine syllables

Theme: boy sees girl who he thinks is teasing him; he believes that means she wants him; word “kumbaya” does not appear

Spanish: the language has different poetic forms, so these terms may not be appropriate
Verse Length: 4 lines
Verse Rhyme Pattern: all lines rhyme by alternating lento and cuerpo
Line Meter: trochaic (Xx)
Line Length: variable

Theme: they dance and the touch of her body arouses him; he suggests “if you want we do it very slow”; “kumbaya” introduces the section

Notes on Music
Opening Phrase: different tune
Basic Structure: repetition of one rhythmic pattern

Singing Style: spoken with slight arc; the line that refers to drugs is pitched lower; he doubles himself on the word “kumbaya”

Vocal-Accompaniment Dynamics: music for Spanish section is richer than for English
Ending: stops with the last word

Notes on Performance
The song describes the foreign country as one with lions and monkeys.  Both are indigenous to Africa, although monkeys live in trees and lions do not live in forests, but grasslands.  The allusions to Africa reinforce the legend that “Kumbaya” was brought to the United States from Africa by a missionary. [18]

Leo2x copies the video with a yellow sweatshirt, but the hood is up, and he wears yellow-tinted glasses.  He does not attempt to lip synch with the video.

Notes on Movement
In the drawing, Leo2x is standing with his hands behind his back and his feet turned out in second position.

He does a few dance steps in the video, but not many.  In one place, he has his upper arms next to his body, with his forearms bent upward.  His hands are apart, facing one another, with his fingers spread.  He moves both arms to one side in an upward sweep, while closing his hands into loose fists.  Otherwise, he is shown walking against a forest backdrop that could have been added later.

The woman mainly poses.

Notes on Audience
The animated version on YouTube was seen 52,792 times as of 20 May 2021, and had 569 comments.  The video version was seen 225,687 times and had 706 comments.  Audiomack recorded 50,000 streams by 11 August 2020. [19]  Spotify reported 425 monthly listeners. [20]

The first video attracted an international audience.  One person observed: “70% comment is filled with Indians, even me lol.” [21]

In addition to India, a number of comments were made from people in Nigeria, or in Latin America. [22]  Surprisingly, viewers also reported living in places that normally are closed to western media, like Saudi Arabia, [23] Russia, [24] and Kazakhstan. [25]

Audience Perceptions
The Spanish lyrics make clear “kumbaya” refers to a happy time.  Vicky Luni told others on YouTube: “This is that one song we’d love to play in the beach at sunset and dance with our partner.  Or a long drive!  Whatever, this song is like a fresh breeze!” [26]

Dax O made a similar comment: “The beginning got me thinking it was Nigerian afrobeat [two red hearts] then boom some Spanish [H in red circle].  Seriously this dude got a lot of potential to penetrate different cultures.  He’s gonna be big if he keeps pushing.” [27]

“Kumbaya” often is associated with marijuana, or other drugs and drinks.  Even Leo2x said: “yah i be smoking weed and i be high into the sky.”  Arghadeep Sarkar, who saw the second video, commented: “This song hits different when you’re high.” [28]

The motifs merge in comments that allude to the Jim Morrison’s psychedelic rock song “Light My Fire.” [29]  Drexx Official said: “Mamacita let me take you outside the country down to Lagos while we vibing to Kumbaya,light up my smoke for more fayah.” [30]

Notes on Performers
The internet provides ways for individuals to remain anonymous while they construct new persona.  Leo2x reveals nothing about himself.  It is left to the listener to infer he lives someplace where he knows his audience tolerates both English and Spanish being spoken, and that his last name is Ortiz. [31]

One Facebook entry for Leo2x suggests Johnny Rose is his manager. [32]  Rose’s given name is Johnny Rosario, and the company address is in West Haven, Connecticut. [33]  His Facebook page indicates he was in Puerto Rico in October and December of 2020.

Rose seems to be in contact with other Spanish-language video companies.  Leo2x’s second video [34] uses an instrumental track created by DCQ BEATZ, a Columbia-based company that specializes in “tropical beats.” [35]  The interface with YouTube was done by SonoSuite.  The group in Barcelona, Spain, [36] only handles corporate accounts. [37]

Availability
MP3 File: Leo2x.  “Kumbaya.”  SourceLid, LLC.  Uploaded to Amazon on 21 August 2020.

Video 1: Leo2x.  “Kumbaya.”  Uploaded to YouTube by Leo2x on 1 July 2020.  Animated version.

Video 2: Leo2x.  “Kumbaya.”  Directed by Johnny Rose.  Uploaded to YouTube by Leo2x on 21 August 2020.  Film version.

End Notes
1.  The use of multiple track recording on Bill Gaither’s 1970 album is discussed in footnote 15 of the post for 17 December 2017.

2.  “Chris White.”  LinkedIn website.  Pederson’s version is described in the post for 27 June 2021.

3.  “Virtual Musician.”  Marinda Studios website.  Turner played keyboards for the Dayton, Ohio, funk rock group Slave. [38]  New Seasons Ministry is mentioned in the post for 20 June 2021.

4.  Wikipedia.  “GarageBand.”

5.  This excludes videos uploaded by institutions like schools and churches, ones mentioned in earlier posts, and ones made outside the United States.  It probably is an undercount.  YouTube’s current search program makes it impossible to get the same results twice with the same key words.  In a dynamic situation, statistics are, at best, indicators of patterns, not evidence.

6.  Comments on the July 1 YouTube video include one from Sourjo Banerjee who wrote in September: “I thought this was another shitty Instagram and used to skip it every time.  But today I let it play and when the chorus came, I got hooked.”  In August, Blessed Kioko said I “never thought I would vibe to an Instagram ad song” before adding “love from Kenya.”

7.  Margot Whitney.  “The Complete Guide to Advertising on Instagram.”  Word Stream website, last updated 17 February 2021.

8.  Whitney.
9.  Whitney.
10.  Wikipedia.  “SoundCloud.”

11.  Wikipedia.  “Audiomack.”  After Leo2x uploaded his video, Audiomack signed “a music licensing agreement with Warner Music Group, covering the United States, Canada, Jamaica, and five ‘key African territories,’ including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania.”  In August, Michael Bradd wrote on the July 1 YouTube video site:
 
“(eHope to hear this on Audiomack
Keep the fire burning...Africa recognizes”

12.  Daniel Vipin.  “Please man, put it on Spotify, it will be worth it, this song will blow up!”  Comment added in October 2020 to July 1 YouTube video.

13.  Meyal.  “Put this song on Apple Music. This is fire.”  Comment added in August 2020 to July 1 YouTube video.

14.  DistroKid website.

15.  Daniel Sanchez.  “Streaming Music Royalties are Even Worse Than We Thought — At Least According to This Indie Label.”  Digital Music News website, 30 January 2019.  Prices may have improved a little since this was written, but it is is still fractions of cents per play.

16.  Wikipedia.  “COVID-19 Pandemic in Puerto Rico.”  On 11 June 2020, the governor, Wanda Vázquez Garced, “announced the reopening of Puerto Rico's sectors except for external tourism, after an 88-day lockdown.”

17.  Translations by Google Translate.

18.  I discuss this legend in “‘Kumbaya’ and Dramatizations of an Etiological Legend.”  Voices 46:26–32:Spring–Summer 2020.  It is available on Academia.edu.

19.  “Leo2x.ortiz music updated their profile picture.”  Facebook, 11 August 2020.

20.  “Leo2x.”  Spotify website.  It features a photograph of a woman wearing a patterned scarf over her head like a mantilla, sari, or Arab khimar.

21.  Unofficial +XXXtentacion.  Comment added in September 2020 to the July 1 YouTube video.

22.  Examples include:

brim brim.  “This song is [two fires and an OK symbol] Respect from Jamaica.”  Comment added in September 2020 to the July 1 YouTube video.

artur.  “I’m from Brazil.  Great song.”  Comment added in September 2020 to the July 1 YouTube video.

Prod. by Ricky.  “respect from Puerto Rico, really dig the vibe, keep doing this typa vibe and you’ll make it trust me.”  Comment added in August 2020 to the July 1 YouTube video.

23.  Hamid 19-583.  “I m telling u.  Your song hit so different that I loved your song.  I listened it for two weeks.  Keep it bro.  Huge respect from Saudi Arabia.”  Comment added in September 2020 to the July 1 YouTube video.

24.  naeyouth.  “So much love from Russia.”  Comment added in August 2020 to the July 1 YouTube video.

25.  James Brayan.  “Kazakhstan also like this song jajaj [country’s flag] moy bien brother.”  Comment added in August 2020 to the July 1 YouTube video.

26.  Vicky Luni.  Comment added in August 2020 to the July 1 YouTube video.
27.  Dax O.  Comment added in August 2020 to the July 1 YouTube video.

28.  Arghadeep Sarkar.  Comment added in October 2020 to the August 21 YouTube video.

29.  The Doors.  “Light My Fire.”  Elektra EK-45615.  1967.  45 rpm.  [Discogs entry.]

30.  Drexx Official.  Comment added in September 2020 to the July 1 YouTube video.  Lagos is in Nigeria.

31.  His internet addresses for SoundCloud, Instagram, and Facebook refer to leo2x.ortiz.  A Facebook entry for 11 August 2020 mentions Leo2x.ortiz music.

32.  A Facebook entry refers to “Kumbaya Management: @johnny_rose Email- leoortizmuzik.

33.  “John Rosario.”  LinkedIn website.

34.  Leo2x.  “Bandz (My Hoes).”  Uploaded to YouTube by SonoSuite on 11 February 2021.

35.  “About Us.”  DCQ BEATZ website.
36.  “Sonosuite.”  CrunchBase website.
37.  SonoSuite website.

38.  “Slave - Stone Jam - 1980.  The best ever Funk album ever made?”  Electric Soul Show website.