Friday, April 10, 2009

Weekend Video




Sometimes we're ahead of the curve and sometimes we're way behind. Case in point, this video from the film "Playing For Change" - a cover of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" recorded by street musicians from around the world. It's now been seen by nearly 9 million people on YouTube alone but somehow passed me by until I received a link from my friend Tom Adler.

Created by filmmakers Mark Johnson and Jonathan Walls, this clip comes from a longer film where the filmmakers traveled around the world, finding musicians to bring their own individual style to pre-recorded backing tracks of songs like "Stand By Me", "Don't Worry" and Bob Marley's "One Love". The purpose of the project, which led to the formation of a foundation to help impoverished people in the areas visited, is to show how music brings people together regardless of their cultural differences. Count me in.

6 comments:

giggles said...

Yep, this story was on Bill Moyers Journal on PBS (twice, now)....very wonderful, generous guy and story....gives this cynic a little bit of hope and puts a smile on her face.... Glad you're sharing!

Music is a universal language, and you don't need to know the words....

Have a great weekend!

Linda S. Socha said...

Talk about Synchonicity....I just did the same post yesterday...Ah well what can I say...something like...great minds tend to...?
GREAT POST
Linda

Maurice Lauher said...

Thanks for sharing this!

Anonymous said...

Thanks, James, very cool indeed. I always think of street musicians as people engaged in a very exposed and lonely pursuit, working for very small rewards. By connecting all these people from around the world through a single song, the filmmakers turn the street musician from quasi-panhandlers into something much more meaningful and powerful. I will likely look at them a little differently.

jaydee

Giles said...

This guy tends to bring people together as well...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_BoaF4B1XI

Thanks for the great blog Danziger.
Cheers!

Giles

jr said...

I really appreciate your weekend videos :)
I rarely have the chance to keep up with this sort of thing.

And this video reminds me a bit of a band from the 60s or 70s (of which the name escapes me) that I saw a piece on. They started off in a train station in eastern Africa (I also forget the country) - maybe you could help me out a little.. Anyway, I thought they were pretty interesting.