It’s true that Earth Day, celebrated this Sunday, is about raising awareness of environmental issues. But looked at from another angle, it’s also about how all of us are connected, for better or worse.
Some of the “for better” includes the way we can connect through things like music; thus, the ever-growing proliferation of cross-cultural musical fusions in world music.
This also explains why people are fascinated by the idea of literally making global music, connecting musicians in totally different parts of the world through technology.
The best example of this that I know of is this beautiful version of “Stand By Me,” made by musicians from New Orleans to the Netherlands. It opens with the late Roger Ridley, who was primarily a busker based in Santa Monica. Somehow, that gives the video even more impact than if he had been someone famous.
The organization that recorded “Stand By Me” is called Playing For Change, and its goal is to bring musicians together through for inspiration, thus making the world a better place. The project really took off after the “Stand By Me” video went viral.
Less seen, but also striking, is an original song Playing For Change did in partnership with the United Nations, called “United.”
Playing For Change isn’t the only organization to hit on the idea — there was also 1990’s One World One Voice, an album which predated the digital technology that has made Playing For Change’s projects a little easier. But the idea is similar. According to Wikipedia, One World One Voice was created by sending around multi-track tapes to studios where local performers added their bit, later edited together.
Here’s one segment, which begins with the spooky voice of Canada’s own Robbie Robertson:
You can watch the rest of the One World One Voice videos here.
The reality is that music can connect us — but that doesn’t make it a universal language. It’s more like a language with many, many dialects, some utterly unique.
Of course, if you hanker to connect with somone speaking another musical dialect there’s a real simple way to do that this Earth Day. Step away from your computer and find someone — say, a neighbor, an aquaintance, or heck, a total stranger — and make some music together.
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