One World Tribe began performing in 1994, started by bandleader Kennedy Thompson with diversity, justice and great music in mind. Covering music by Bob Marley, Santana, Ruben Blades, The Meters, Stevie Wonder and Johnny Klegg, the group quickly developed a fan base in Erie, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Upstate New York.

Original music gradually replaced much of the cover material, as the Tribe's fan base continued to expand. Rochester and Syracuse became regular stops, with frequent trips to Harrisburgh and State College. Songs like No Justice, No Peace, Money Don't Make It Right, and Award-winning Unity and Diversity, the title-track of their first album, made the band's message clear, and entertained at the same time.

After some years of pounding the beat in clubs, festivals, colleges, schools, street fairs and community celebrations, One World Tribe released their second CD, The World Today, rhythmic club-tested grooves with a World Music focus. This "collection of seven stunning original tunes" ^[1] brought more of the Tribe's sound and message to a continually expanding audience.

In 2004, One World Tribe became a member of the Pennsylvania Performing Artists on Tour roster, increasing the touring reach of the shows. Tours have included Lancaster, Harrisburg and Philadelphia, PA, and New Jersey, West Virginia, Baltimore, MD and Atlanta, GA.

More recently, the group has been included in the Pennsylvania Arts Council grant listing, supporting residencies in schools. This brings world-class musicianship to young people, and allows One World Tribe to teach them authentic World Music styles, and to demonstrate the acceptance for each other's differences that the group exemplifies.

One World Tribe is hard at work, the result of these and many other projects. In addition to the expansion of the World Music frontier, the Tribe continues developing its Hiphop show representing the third CD, Armed and Dangerous with this focus. Many of the individual artists in the group also develop other original projects, covering more music styles and experiences than can be listed here. More on the individual members can be found on the bandmembers page.