The Audiobodies are a band that volunteers at local events and write lyrics that increase awareness of society’s struggles.
Lead singer Wyme – like Madonna, he uses one name – is of Puerto Rican and African American descent. Guitarist J Hacha De Zola is of Peruvian and Hondurian descent. Both are residents of Union City.
Drummer Hank Yaghooti, of Salvadorian and Iranian descent, is from Jersey City, and Brazilian bass player Clodoaldo Almeida is from Newark.
Vocalist Wyme is backed by J De Hacha, Hank Yaghooti and Clodoaldo Almeida. They play world music that gives the band a soul-rock sound.
‘The greatest revolution is the one in ourselves. Once we get through it, we are free’- Wyme
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What inspires them
“We are a conscious band with a divine music we try to accent,” said Wyme. “People need to take responsibility for their music. Kids listen to world music and only hear about disrespecting women, drugs, and gaining material items.”
The group says their music tells of the personal journeys that they and society face on a daily basis.
“We live in a diverse community,” said J De Hacha. “We celebrate [diversity] with different sounds.” Along with guitar, De Hacha plays the ukulele, banjo and Arabic oud. “We listen to world influences and especially folk music and try to implement it into our music.”
“Drumming is generic, so when we take a drum sound from a jazz tune and add it to another genre, it adds another layer to the sound we are working on,” said Yaghooti. “I want to make a living in this career path, but during the day I am a web designer.”
A night of music with the Audiobodies
The song “Free,” which features Bashiri Johnson, is a cry to people to be true to themselves and not confined by illegitimate reasons that prevent them from living happily in a free world. “So Cold,” which features Abiodum Oyewole, talks about the past and how people need to remember that today is a chance for them to mold into a better tomorrow for self, family, and the community.
“The greatest revolution is the one in ourselves. Once we get through, it we are free,” said Wyme. “Our music relates to many social problems.”
Future album collaboration
The Audiobodies have been busy recording their debut album at the Cutting Room studios in Greenwich Village. The record will feature guest musicians such as Bashiri Johnson, a well-known artist in the U.S.; Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets, a group of poets and musicians from the 1960s American civil rights movement, and Shawn Pelton, a Saturday Night Live drummer and musical director.
The album is due out in September. The band wants to promote their message, so they are making downloads free of charge. The CDs will be sold at events.