Results tagged “Nat Geo Music” 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.

 

Last week a friend took me to a party at the stunning Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC, so I've been feeling in a Swedish mood ever since. And considering its small population, Sweden has made a disproportionate contribution to global music. Most famous are guilty-pleasure groups like ABBA and Ace Of Base, but recently it seems that every other indie rock sensation comes from Sweden. And then there's Stockholm-based producer Max Martin who is responsible for massive hits by Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, and the Backstreet Boys. I took a course on Scandinavian literature in college and the professor suggested that Sweden owes its laudable artistic output to precisely the thing that would inspire me to do nothing: their long, dark winters.

One thing that all famous Swedish music groups have in common is that they sing in impeccable English. It makes sense for two reasons: it opens their music to a wider market and much of the music that inspires these rock and pop groups is sung in English. But the lack of internationally successful native language singers from Sweden is one of the things that makes me love so much the Swedish hip-hop group Snook.
 

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.



The Roma, also known as Gypsies (a politically incorrect moniker derived from the myth that the group migrated from Egypt), have a storied musical history. Virtuoso musicians like guitarist Django Reinhardt have captured world attention, and mainstream folk and rock musicians have celebrated "gypsy" spirit in their songs, i.e. "I want to rock your gypsy soul," from none other than Van Morrison.

If you've traveled through Europe it's likely you've come across Roma musicians performing in piazzas, restaurants, or on public transportation. Music might be a natural calling for a people who, by choice and sometimes by force, have lived on the fringes of mainstream society since their arrival in Europe over a half-millennium ago from northern India.

Shukar Collective is a Romani group from Romania that combines, I kid you not, the traditional music of bear handlers, or ursari, with electronic samples mixed by two Romanian DJs. The music video to their single "Malademna" shows scenes from rural Romania mixed together as though the video editor had spent all night partying in a club, and I mean that as a compliment!

[Nat Geo Music, Video]

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.



In two years working for Nat Geo Music I've seen thousands of music videos from all over the world and "Azania" by South African rapper Zoro stands out as one of my favorites. "Azania" is an alternative name for South Africa used by African nationalists beginning in the late 1970s. The catchy beat and colorful imagery belie lyrics that speak to the struggle of people living in townships in a country with a history of racial oppression:

"Hunger, crime, AIDS is finishing us / We're diminishing / They're laughing at us ... Azania / We grew up hard / We grew up hard."

Zoro himself grew up in the township of Guguletu outside Cape Town and from an early age identified with resistance to the apartheid regime. In 1989 he was shot by a policeman while trying to stop a fight and was paralyzed from the waist down. Through determination and faith he regained the ability to walk after one year in a wheelchair. 

South Africa is hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2010. If any of you are lucky enough to travel there, you'll probably hear some great music along the way. Just don't assume that every song with a catchy beat is a lighthearted dance tune.

[Video link]

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]

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.


Raquel Tavares, "Fado Lisboeta"

One thing I love about this video from Portuguese fado singer Raquel Tavares is that in the first 30 seconds it seems like a low-budget music special from public access television and then, unexpectedly, the shot cuts to a dramatic close-up of the singer's bright red lips as she begins the bittersweet lament of the fado. It's an abrupt reminder that as spectators of the fado we're here primarily for the voice, which, even if you can't understand the words, conveys longing and nostalgia.

Fado music comes from Lisbon, Portugal's capital city, which is located on the Tagus River just before it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The best place to find a traditional fado bar in Lisbon is in Bairro Alto (literal translation: high neighborhood), one of the oldest parts of the city where Lisbon's youth intermix with tourists, drug dealers, and long-time older residents. The neighborhood is the heart of Lisbon's nightlife and in addition to being the perfect spot to catch nightly fado performances, is a good place to come for dinner, drinks, and dancing.    

Check out Nat Geo Music for more fado videos. And read Traveler's story about the best fado festivals in Lisbon.

In our new column, CJ Fahey of Nat Geo Music introduces new sounds from around the globe. We asked him to introduce himself and explain what Nat Geo Music is all about.

Many people are surprised to find out that National Geographic has gotten into the music business - only we're not focusing on traditional music, ambient recordings of nature, or animal sounds. A little over a year ago we started a music television channel in Europe and Latin America, we have a music website, and a brand new record label.  Our mission is to discover and share contemporary music from all over the world. We think music is the perfect fit for National Geographic because we've always been about understanding and celebrating diversity. What better way to do that than through the most popular and soulful expression of culture: music?

I've been working on the television channel and website from the beginning. My friends at the Intelligent Travel Blog asked me to share some music videos I've come across that might serve as another means to inspire people to pack their bags, head to the airport, and visit someplace new. Even if you're just interested in daydream traveling, let these videos be your soundtrack!

For videos with the spirit of travel, I don't think it gets any more obvious than this one (above) by Indian composer A.R. Rahman, the Academy Award-winning composer who took home awards for Best Song and Best Score for Slumdog Millionaire.

The video has the epic quality of a postcard come to life, which is understandable because the song is a remake of India's national song, not to be confused with the national anthem. (I guess it's similar to what America, The Beautiful is for us.) And yes, while some parts can be little much, you can't deny that the images are beautiful and the music entrancing.

Be sure to check out more videos at our music website: www.natgeomusic.net. I'll be back with more good stuff in the near future!