By Shereen Masoud-Jointe, Senior Account Executive (Europe)
This week’s song choices include a delightful mix of languages from around the globe.
115. 阿珍爱上了阿强 (Jane Falls in Love with John) — 五条人 (Wu Tiao Ren)
116. Mickey — 大波浪 (The Big Wave)
117. Sogno di Volare (Dream of Flight) — Christopher Tin
118. There Will Be Time — Mumford & Sons, Baaba Mal
HA-Indonesia Account Director Niko Radityo Suwito shared a unique Italian song with a multilayered backstory that intersects with his love of video games:
I am a gamer by heart, and I found this song when I played the game Civilization VI. The game itself is a very good one: The objective of the game is to lead a group of people forward through the stone ages, the birth of agriculture and through the dawn of space flight. It’s a symbolic and interactive representation of humankind’s evolution over the ages — how we thrive, adapt and invent.
There are several fun facts about this song:
1. It’s composed by an Asian composer, with the lyrics written in a European language, and is featured as the theme song of an American video game. This is a perfect representation of multi-cultural, cross-continental collaboration.
2. The lyrics have an adaptation of a famous quote by Leonardo Da Vinci: “When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
3. The composer, Christopher Tin, previously wrote a song entirely in the Kiswahili language, titled “Baba Yetu.”
Why I think the song is great:
1. It sounds really majestic. Typically, video game music tends to sound plasticky, electronic, and artificial. This song is not like the others, as it was recorded by the Philharmonic Orchestra using a full range of instruments.
2. It has a profound theme: that humankind will never be the same after the invention of flight. This can also be applicable to any technological marvels that we have right now: smartphones, the internet, AI and many others.
3. I think this is the perfect song for a world impacted by COVID-19. It reminds us why humankind will not give up easily, and that by harnessing science & knowledge, we’ve survived many trials. It inspires us to keep dreaming big, and to look optimistically forward.
As always, you can follow along on our Spotify playlist.
