Reunite Dajando with his long lost bass!
Christmas 1985 was an important one for Dajando Smith. Four years earlier he had picked up the bass guitar, and discovered a passion for music. Listening to everything from Prince, The Brothers Johnson, Stanley Clarke, to the new school of super shredders like Yngwie Malmsteen... -With focus like a Shaolin monk- Dajando practiced and practiced. In four short years he had become an excellent musician. For all the hard work he had put in, Dajando's parents decided that for Christmas, they would get him a brand new bass guitar. He and his father went to Chuck Levin's (one of the DC area's longest running music stores).
Dajando decided to get a Hamer bass. Since Chuck Levin's was a Hamer dealer, he was able to custom order his dream bass. He decided on a Japanese rising sun motif. People at the Hamer factory even had found people at a nearby Japanese restaurant to translate his name to paint onto the bass. After it was shipped back to Chuck's, everyone in the store stopped to look at it. It was perfect.
For years, that Hamer bass was his main bass.
He ended up lending it to a friend, and unfortunately it was stolen.
Dajando is a fixture in the DC music community. He continues to create with all kinds of people, within many different genres of music. Dajando is known for his big heart, as much as his masterful musicianship. He has done everything from playing concerts and touring, to giving music lessons, playing at church, or working at Atomic Music. In these troubled times, and with our country divided as it is, we could all stand to live by Dajando's example.
Through the power of the internet, we were able to track down Dajando's beloved and long lost bass guitar. In the world of guitar collecting it had traded hands many many times. The opportunity has arisen to buy back Dajando's bass. Last week was Dajando's birthday, so it's an excellent time to reunite him with his long lost instrument. As you can imagine, a bass this collectible and sought-after has increased in value over the years.
We know times are difficult. Everyone has been affected by the current pandemic. Most people are out of work. Times feel uncertain. If you have anything to spare, it would bring a tremendous light into Dajando's life.
