The power of Lotus

This past weekend, some of the best musicians from all over the world came to Bloomington for the annual Lotus World Music & Arts Festival. The results were invariably pleasant for all parties involved.

I find Lotus to be one of the highlights of being in Bloomington due to the music, dancing and most importantly, the smiling faces of everyone involved.

Lotus makes world music real.

It’s one thing to listen to an artist on your iPod by yourself, but quite another thing entirely to be experiencing the music live while surrounded by people who appreciate music that isn’t Lady Gaga or Trey Songz.

I’ve always been a strong believer in the power of music. Music brings people together and connects us all in a way nothing else can.

I had a pretty packed schedule in terms of all the musicians I wanted to see this weekend. I was particularly interested in Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars and the Ugandan band Kinobe & Soul Beat Africa, but I was really excited to hear some new music and dance.

During my two nights of Lotus, I heard music and stories from musicians from far off places like Mali and Colombia.

However, the greatest part of listening to the music was hearing the stories of the other listeners. I listened to stories of places I had never even heard of before and each new story inspired me to try and see more of this world. It also helped me appreciate what a wonderful place Bloomington really is.

Bloomington is an amazing melting pot.

I know it sounds cliché and probably reminds you of a corny “Schoolhouse Rock” song, but it’s true. The world is literally at our fingertips and all we have to do is reach out and take someone’s hand to learn about something new.

Lotus also provides an excellent forum for dancing, something not commonly practiced in the U.S. I’ve always been a big fan of dancing, but I never realized how amazing it was until I studied abroad in Ghana.

Six months of living in West Africa taught me, if nothing else, how to dance and laugh at myself. I danced nearly every day that I lived in Ghana. Whether it be waiting for a tro-tro (a large van which serves as a form of public transportation), at the club, at church or just walking around, Ghanaians are always down to dance. It doesn’t matter how good of a dancer you are, dancing is just a way to express yourself and interact with other people.  

Dancing is an integral part of life in most places around the world, but sadly it is not in the United States.

However, dancing at Lotus is not optional. The ethnic beats from all over the globe fill the souls of everyone at Lotus and dancing becomes compulsory.

Lotus makes people happy. Something about all the dancing, singing and mixing of people from all over the globe seems to just make people smile unconditionally.

All weekend, I delighted at the fact that everyone I encountered was smiling. Frowning just seems like the antithesis of the philosophy of Lotus.

Bloomington should be a happy place. Just walking around IU, with all the gorgeous landscapes and architecture, always seems to cheer me up, but sometimes I feel like I’m the only one that feels that way.

The campus is filled with people walking around with sad faces and ears clogged up with headphones. Everyone is so distant and in a hurry to get somewhere else. They forget to enjoy where they are and appreciate the journey. Whether you are walking or taking Bloomington Transit, you have the power to make your journey enjoyable or just plain unbearable.

Open up yourself to the people and places around you and I can assure that you will have a far happier life. College is supposed to be a time to network and meet new people that challenge your preconceptions of the world. Stop closing yourself off to the world and try something new. IU is a diverse place full of interesting people, so take out your headphones and try talking to someone new, you might be pleasantly surprised at the consequences.

Lotus might only occur one weekend a year, but we should keep on celebrating its greatest tenets all year.


E-mail: tmkennel@indiana.edu