The Spirit of the Wild

[Intro] (The sound of a distant lion’s roar and birds chirping. A bright, cascading Balafon melody starts, accompanied by the "talking" sounds of a Gangan drum. It feels like the bush coming to life at dawn) (Chant: Ny-a-ma, Ny-a-ma... - Animal/Spirit) [Verse 1] The grey giant moves through the acacia trees Sensing the water on the morning breeze The golden hunter with the amber stare Rules the kingdom with a silent prayer From the smallest bird to the leopard’s stride There is a secret power moving deep inside. [Pre-Chorus] (Call: Who is the king?) (Response: The lion in the grass!) (Call: Who is the ancient?) (Response: The elephants that pass!) (Chant: Sim-ba! Tem-bo!) [Chorus] Oh, let the wild spirit run through our veins Over the mountains and the dusty plains They are the guardians, the keepers of the law In every heartbeat and in every claw (Chant: O-ka-wa-ni, we honor the wild) Treat the earth like a mother, act like a child. [Instrumental Interlude: Balafon and Talking Drum Duet] (A fast-paced, melodic section where the Balafon plays a complex pattern. The Talking Drum "speaks" back to the melody, creating a rhythmic dialogue that sounds like a forest conversation) [Verse 2] The gazelle is dancing on the edge of the light The eagle is claiming the sky in its flight They don't take more than the land can give Teaching us all how we’re meant to live In the stripes of the zebra, in the rhino’s horn The soul of the continent is being reborn. [Chorus] Oh, let the wild spirit run through our veins Over the mountains and the dusty plains They are the guardians, the keepers of the law In every heartbeat and in every claw (Chant: O-ka-wa-ni, we honor the wild) Treat the earth like a mother, act like a child. [Instrumental Bridge: Tribal Flute and Percussion Swell] (A soaring flute melody represents the birds and the wind. The percussion builds up into a "galloping" rhythm, mimicking a herd of wildebeests running across the savannah) [Verse 3] We are the brothers of the claw and the wing Listening to the song that the wilderness sings If they should vanish, if they should fall Then there is no future for any of us all So stand as a guardian, stand as a friend Protect the circle until the very end. [Chorus] Oh, let the wild spirit run through our veins Over the mountains and the dusty plains They are the guardians, the keepers of the law In every heartbeat and in every claw (Chant: O-ka-wa-ni, we honor the wild) Treat the earth like a mother, act like a child. [Outro] (Chant: Ny-a-ma... Ny-a-ma...) (The Balafon melody slows down and becomes softer. You hear the sound of the wind again. One last, high flute note fades away) (Fading whisper: The wild is within you...) [End]