Life in Technicolor, track one of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida album. It’s a truly breathtaking piece of music and until recently I felt that it was just a glorious introduction to an even more glorious Coldplay album…I was wrong.
Upon taking a closer listen, I found that this isn’t just any musical compilation where instruments are slowly introduced one by one to create a dynamic piece of music. It is a song that illustrates what occurs when you take a western civilization culture and collide it head on with a blast of eastern civilization culture. Allow me to explain…
For about the first 50 seconds we hear a very “organ-like” sound. My guess is that it is a keyboard but the sound is still very organ-like nonetheless. The organ, a lasting symbol of the western civilization and more specifically, the Roman Catholic Church; no doubt a leading figure when it comes to the historical development of western civilization.
Then, all of a sudden, a new instrument is introduced into the mix. What is that? (Does anybody know?) It looks a lot like a santur if you ask me. Nevertheless the sound is very “eastern” in nature and provides a wonderful contrast to the previously established organ.
As the song progresses more instruments are slowly added one by one, drums, guitar, etc. Then we have it, at exactly 2:04, the climax of the song, it was all building up to this. A fusion of sound, a burst of music, and a choir of voices . East meets west and what do you get as a result? Perfect Harmony.
Amazing, yet another wonderful example of kinship through dance and music! Thanks Coldplay, for not only a great track but for also providing a glimpse into what our future will be like once we set aside our petty differences and each follow the inspirational words of Mr. Thomas Paine,
Have an unforgettable weekend!
-C
Recent Comments