Results tagged “Ben Harper” from Intelligent Travel Blog

Every trip should have a soundtrack, so we've asked CJ Fahey with Nat Geo Music to select artists from their catalog whose songs will inspire you to get going.

Two weeks ago Nat Geo Music hosted an Earth Day concert in Rome, Italy, that brought close to 200,000 people to the famous Piazza del Popolo to hear music groups including Ben Harper & Relentless7 and Nat Geo Music's own Bibi Tanga & The Selenites. For a concert, it was a smashing success. But the occasion was Earth Day, so how did we fare with respect to our goal of raising environmental awareness, promoting eco-friendly lifestyle, and offsetting carbon costs of the event?

To offset the carbon footprint of the event we've planned to plant 1,000 trees in a park in Rome, as well as acres of trees in Costa Rica. An Italian non-profit helped calculate how many trees we would need to plant to stay carbon neutral. Between every musical act speakers and video content highlighted the Earth Day theme and spoke to simple things each individual can do to make a difference.

But when the concert ended I was crushed to see the piazza full of trash and empty drink bottles. And problems with public transportation (welcome to Italy!) forced more people than we expected to show up in cars and scooters. I wondered how many people left the concert having absorbed our environmental message. If we really cared about the environment would it have been better not to have a concert at all?

Nat Geo Music is currently airing their Earth Day Concert LIVE from the Piazza del Popolo in Rome. Ben Harper is playing now! Check it out here. After the show, tune in HERE for the online premiere of an all-new Geo Session featuring Ben Harper & Relentless7.

Every trip should have a soundtrack, so we've asked CJ Fahey with Nat Geo Music to select artists from their catalog whose songs will inspire you to get going.


If you happen to be in Italy this Wednesday, April 22nd, we've got plans for you: Thousands of people will convene on Rome's famous Piazza del Popolo for a free concert Nat Geo Music is hosting for Earth Day. The featured artist is Ben Harper & Relentless7, and we're also excited to present a band we just signed to the newly-created Nat Geo Music record label: Bibi Tanga & The Selenites. We're even keeping in theme with the day: to offset the carbon footprint of the concert, we'll be planting a thousand trees in a park in Rome as well as acres of trees in Costa Rica.
 
But this is the travel blog, so let me set the scene at Piazza del Popolo. The best way to appreciate the piazza is from above. At the piazza's east end you'll see a terraced path lined with trees that climbs to an overlook in the Villa Borghese gardens called Pincio. From there, Piazza del Popolo and all of Rome, most notably the dome of St. Peter's, spreads before you in a view that's like love at first sight.
 
I lived in Rome for three years and fell in love with the city many times, but most often from someplace high. Whether it's the view of the Garden of Oranges from the Aventine Hill or the front of the Fontana dell' Acqua Paola from the Janiculum Hill (which is actually not one of the original seven hills of Rome), everyone who's lucky enough to explore the views of Rome has a favorite. If you've been to the Eternal City, I'm curious to hear your favorite view, or any experience you had that made you fall in love.
 
Of course, this Wednesday's Earth Day concert will not be the time to catch the view from above the Piazza del Popolo. We hope the piazza is packed with people who love music, but also people who, like us, care about the planet and want to show their support for environmental awareness and action. But if you can't make it to Rome in time, watch the concert live online from 2-6p.m. EST at www.natgeomusic.net. Or at least go plant a tree!

[Nat Geo Music Earth Day Concert in Rome]