Human beatboxer captivates audience attention

By Brittany Benjamin

Even before the music began, it was clear that Yuri Lane was unlike any other musician to perform in the Recital Hall. His first words on stage proclaimed that all sounds in the show came live and directly from his own body: his lips, teeth, nose and throat. Nothing was prerecorded.

Lane is a self-proclaimed "human beatbox." In other words, he's a hip-hop artist. The music comes directly from his body: Beat, harmony and lyrics all come simultaneously.

"The instrument is me," Lane said.

Lane's one-man show, "From Tel Aviv to Ramallah," combines Lane's beatbox music with his acting.

"From Tel Aviv to Ramallah," written and performed completely by Lane, is the story of life inside the Jewish-controlled Jerusalem city of Tel Aviv as compared to Palestinian life in the settlement of Ramallah. Amir is a young Jewish man who dreams of being a disco DJ in America. He gets his big break when he spins one Friday night in the Tel Aviv disco.

"We have lots of trouble in the city, but tonight we are going to forget and dance!" Amir said in one scene.

Meanwhile, Khalid is a young Palestinian who has opened an internet cafe, cleverly named "palestine.net." Khalid wholeheartedly believes that computers are the future, and they allow him to instantly connect to freedom supporters around the world. While Khalid's mother approves of this action, his father is not pleased.

"My son, the only person who opens a business under occupation," said his father.

Through the development of these two characters' lives, the religious and political implications of the Holy War become emotional and all too real for the audience. The two characters share similar beliefs that maintaining freedom by defending their homes is the most important thing.

At the same time, America appears to exploit the Palestinian settlement; an American company seeks to invest in "palestine.net," but Khalid's father advises him to be careful of Americans and their promises.

However, the story reaches its climax in an unsettling and bone-chilling confrontation at the fence that separates Tel Aviv from Ramallah. The show concludes open-ended as Khalid and Amir meet at the fence.

The seriousness of beatboxing is portrayed through Lane's emotional parallel stories of the Israelis and Palestinians. His final message is of peace, shalom and salaam.

Just as compelling as the script are Lane's performances as he switches from character to character while simultaneously providing a cultural backdrop to their lifestyles with his music. After a few minutes, the mostly student audience seemed to forget that they were watching a one-man show; instead, they became entranced by Lane's moving, theatrical storytelling.

Born in Holland but raised in San Francisco, Lane grew up with a background in acting. He started as a professional actor at the age of 14, when he also developed an interest in music and dance.

"I started loving hip-hop and listening to the radio. I then started to break dance, and I had always had a knack for making sounds," he said.

Lane put together all his talents when he began beatboxing. "I realized that I needed to bring out my flavor and style. That was through acting and beatboxing."

"Beatboxing needs to be brought as a true art form, not just a party trick," Lane said.

Contact Brittany Benjamin at brbenjamin@scu.edu.