Month: April 2016

Happy Earth Day! – Conservation Music

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Happy Earth Day!

Apr 23, 2016

[fbvideo link=”https://web.facebook.com/conservationmusicproject/videos/1726916147584652/” width=”462″ height=”” onlyvideo=”1″]

 

From all of us here in Angola, HAPPY EARTH DAY! A day to reflect on our nature as humans, and what we can do to help nurture it. We hope you enjoy this quick 1-minute clip of the work we’ve been doing here!

The Conservation Music Project is founded on the belief that every person on the planet has a gift that can be used to do something much greater than ourselves. We’re using music to speak to the heart and the mind about caring for the planet, in many different languages! This section is in Umbundu, which is spoken further North and West within the Okavango basin, and speaks of the wealth of fish, frogs, and crocodiles to be found in Angola’s rivers.

Also, speaking of days for reflection and celebration, tomorrow, the 23rd of April, marks the one year anniversary of my touchdown in Lesotho! Since then, I’ve been blessed to experience 4 other countries in Southern Africa, especially the privilege of meeting such a wealth of wonderful people everywhere I go. I am so grateful to everyone I’ve met along the way.

On top of this, on an even more personal note, just 11 days away is my birthday, May 3rd. This year, I have decided to launch a my first ever Crowdfunding campaign, for the Conservation Music Project, the night beforehand. Even the smallest donation will help to empower musicians from all over Southern Africa to impact the earth in their own unique, positive way! Just something to think about, I will be keeping you posted on this!

If you enjoyed this video, please LIKE and SHARE to support these awesome musicians and pass on the positive vibes! Thank you!

Gravação de Amanhã – Recording’s Eve – Conservation Music

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Gravação de Amanhã – Recording’s Eve

Apr 15, 2016

Hey! The past few days have been a bit slower production-wise, mainly on account of the various band members’ day jobs. Not to worry, though, I’ve spent that time improving my audiovisual knowledge and practices, as well as beginning to map out our first upcoming video!

On that note, we’re recording our first track tomorrow! You may have heard the preview clips in my previous post. If not, you can find those right here! Very excited to get the ball rolling on some nice audio production.

I’ve also reached out to Angolan celebrity Matias Damásio, who according to my contact has expressed interest in the project. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be able to work with Damásio to prepare a conservation production in time for World Environment Day, which will be hosted in Luanda this year. That would be great! Here’s a clip of Matias Damásio at work:

Now I’m off to see the band at their weekly Friday night gig at Ponto Verde bar. Tchau!

Primeira Composição com a banda “Progresso” – Conservation Music

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Primeira Composição com a banda “Progresso”

Apr 11, 2016

Today went well. It started with myself and Abias, lead composer and keys player for the local band Progresso. After a quick jam to break the ice and a couple of phone calls, we had a couple of other composition-minded individuals with us, each with different strengths. I enjoyed getting to know the different roles these guys could fill as composers… different languages, lyrics, and melodies were brought to the table for myself and Abias to sort through and organize. Firstly, here’s a preview of the chorus, which has a more modern feel and is sung in the link language Portuguese as opposed to the various regional languages:

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/258524836″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true&show_user=false” width=”100%” height=”135″ iframe=”true” /]

 

Next is a bridge in Umbundu, whipped up by a kindly schoolteacher sporting micro-dreads by the name of Tchingualele. Umbundu is spoken further north within the river system, and this part will be the flow between the chorus and and language spoken further down the river system, Nganguela.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/258524827″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true&show_user=false” width=”100%” height=”135″ iframe=”true” /]

 

And finally, for now at least, here’s one of my favorite parts of the song. This part will be both accompanied and a cappella at different points. The language is Nganguela, the most widely spoken in Menongue, and perhaps in Kuando Kubango province as well. It’s closely related to Chokwe, which is spoken in many of the villages interviewed by The Okavango Wilderness Project this year, which is good, because we want this song to be understood by as many of the people of the region as possible!

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/258524842″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true&show_user=false” width=”100%” height=”135″ iframe=”true” /]

 

That’s all for now, folks. I took some video as well, but I’m completely out of steam for the night. I’ll get on an edit ASAP to show you a bit of the songwriting process that led to these clips! ~Alex

composition Archives – Conservation Music

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Primeira Composição com a banda “Progresso”

Apr 11, 2016 | Blog

Today went well. It started with myself and Abias, lead composer and keys player for the local band Progresso. After a quick jam to break the ice and a couple of phone calls, we had a couple of other composition-minded individuals with us, each with different strengths. I enjoyed getting to know the different roles these guys could fill as composers… different languages, lyrics, and melodies were brought to the table for myself and Abias to sort through and organize. Firstly, here’s a preview of the chorus, which has a more modern feel and is sung in the link language Portuguese as opposed to the various regional languages:

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/258524836″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true&show_user=false” width=”100%” height=”135″ iframe=”true” /]

 

Next is a bridge in Umbundu, whipped up by a kindly schoolteacher sporting micro-dreads by the name of Tchingualele. Umbundu is spoken further north within the river system, and this part will be the flow between the chorus and and language spoken further down the river system, Nganguela.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/258524827″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true&show_user=false” width=”100%” height=”135″ iframe=”true” /]

 

And finally, for now at least, here’s one of my favorite parts of the song. This part will be both accompanied and a cappella at different points. The language is Nganguela, the most widely spoken in Menongue, and perhaps in Kuando Kubango province as well. It’s closely related to Chokwe, which is spoken in many of the villages interviewed by The Okavango Wilderness Project this year, which is good, because we want this song to be understood by as many of the people of the region as possible!

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/258524842″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true&show_user=false” width=”100%” height=”135″ iframe=”true” /]

 

That’s all for now, folks. I took some video as well, but I’m completely out of steam for the night. I’ll get on an edit ASAP to show you a bit of the songwriting process that led to these clips! ~Alex

Progress with Progresso – Conservation Music

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Progress with Progresso

Apr 10, 2016

Today I met with Abias Cavuvi, band leader of the soon-to-be Conservation Musicians Progresso. We set out a plan, and agreed to meet tomorrow to begin to compose a new tune about protecting and respecting the numerous rivers that radiate out from the Angolan highlands. Especially those heading south towards the Okavango Delta!

Here’s a clip I scrapped together from some odds and ends of footage that I captured while I sat in on a band practice about a week ago. The style is Kwasa Kwasa, a particular rhythm and dance which has spread out from the DRC since becoming popular there in the 1970s. The first time I heard it was down in Seronga, on the edge of the Delta, composing the first CMP conservation song ever, Ke Rata Okavango with Gongwe Wamana. As soon as I heard this Progresso tune, I recognized the style!

Like I said, it’s scrapped together, but I hope you enjoy it! ~Alex

Sneak Peak: Angolan Conservation Musicians “Progresso”Today I met with Abias Cavuvi, band leader of the soon-to-be Conservation Musicians “Progresso.” We set out a plan, and agreed to meet tomorrow to begin to compose a new tune about protecting and respecting the numerous rivers that radiate out from the Angolan highlands. Especially those heading south towards the Okavango Delta!Here’s a clip I scrapped together from some odds and ends of footage that I captured while I sat in on a band practice about a week ago. The style is Kwasa Kwasa, a particular rhythm and dance which has spread out from the DRC since becoming popular there in the 1970s. The first time I heard it was down in Seronga, on the edge of the Delta, composing the first CMP conservation song ever, “Ke Rata Okavango” with Gongwe Wamana. As soon as I heard this Progresso tune, I recognized the style!Like I said, it’s scrapped together, but I hope you enjoy it! ~AlexAlso found here: http://www.ntrepidmedia.net/progress-with-progreso/

Posted by The Conservation Music Project on Sunday, April 10, 2016

A Song for Menongue – Conservation Music

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A Song for Menongue

Apr 9, 2016

Screen shot 2016-04-09 at 11.30.21 PMIt’s 4a.m. in Menongue, Angola. The stars are in full form this morning, the Milky Way extending towards the road that my colleagues will take out of the Angola today. If only the road were as smooth as the Via Láctea, as they call it here, perhaps they wouldn’t need to leave quite so early.

The National Geographic supported 2016 Okavango Wilderness Project biodiversity survey of the Cuanavale River and its surrounding sourcelands is complete. The remaining team of scientists, producers, ba’Yei polers, and my colleagues in logistics are going back home. Myself? I’m alone in Menongue.

The reason is that for the next 3-and-a-half-odd weeks, I will be working with Angolan musicians to help spread awareness of some of this river-clad region’s most glaring environmental problems. I truly believe that through music, the world can learn so many lessons. By transcending language and literacy, by speaking as much to the heart as the mind, and by harnessing the learning power of rhythm and repetition, musicians can teach and inspire like nobody else. Thus, in 2015, The Conservation Music Project was born, and now, with the generous help and advice of the leadership team at The Okavango Wilderness Project, I have a chance to work with players from a deeply troubled country, and create something positive, informative, and looking towards the future.

The issues the we’re hoping to tackle initially are:

  • Water Conservation
  • The Bush Meat Trade
  • Burning the Countryside

I will be documenting everything on this blog, on Instagram, on Twitter, and Facebook. Please feel free to contact me through any of these means if you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions! Best, Alex