About This Project: Katrina Calling
IAbout three months after the disaster that befell New Orleans in the form of Hurricane Katrina and the response, or lack thereof, that occurred, I wrote this song.
The idea came from various web reports and blogs I was reading at the time of the people who had lived through the storm right at the point of landfall. As I read through these various stories, a composite character began to form in my mind.
I began to imagine what it could have been like to be a 911 operator at that time. I saw myself sitting at my station as the phone began to ring with people reaching out for help, and feeling powerless to do anything but listen.
I then began to wonder what it must be like to be this same opeartor months or even years after the event, with the voices of all those callers in my mind, wondering what had become of them and wanting so much to explain that I had done what I could, knwoing that it was so little in the face of so much.
I put the song away after that, not really able to record it an feeling like maybe it was one of those things that you write but it never really sees the light of day.
Not long ago I discovered the David Simon series Treme, and I was totally captivated by the chracters, the writing, and the music of the show. I ended up going to New Orleans and visiting the lower 9th Ward and a group I was involved with sponsored a Habitat for Humanity rebuild in the area.
So I came back and recored this song, live, in one take with Victoria on harmonica. A video of the performance is on YouTube under the title of Operator 34. You can see it here.
I changed the name to Katrina Calling for the release of this single. It just seemed to be more appropriate. It just finally felt like time for the song to be in the world. For all those suffering from the PTSD of the event, it is my deepest wish that you are able to find some help and comfort with whatever voices and memories may haunt you from that time.
The project can be found on BandCamp currently by Clicking Here.
I hope you enjoy this tune, and thanks for listening
Walk in Beauty
Wes Hamil
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