Tag Archive for 'K’naan'

SuperForester Mathew’s Journal – Music (Part 2)

Hey SuperForest!

I know I promised I’d post this earlier, but life caught the best of me. And if you didn’t know I promised, awesome! Either way to be sure to check out Part 1 of this Journal series!

So, NPR releases some of the most amazing and intimate mini-concerts! Just 10 to 15 min of awesomeness, and I want to share another some of my favourites with you! These guys, like I stated in my last post, are full of music. They burst music from their hearts and soul, and it is fantastic to listen to and hear. Please sit back relax and enjoy this beautiful Saturday, and just breathe..ahhhh.

First up is…one of my favourite artists of all time. He is brilliant, his message strong, and his heart full. The man is K’naan. You can find all the posts on SuperForest about him here! He is truly wonderful, and full of life and passion. Soak this man and his music in.

Next! This is a band I got to know because of NPR, and wow I love them! Enjoy the good vibes of Fanfarlo. They are sheer brilliance!

Once again a personal favourite I have shared with SuperForest before: The Avett Brothers! These guys are amazing. So full of life and energy. Love them!

Now let your ears feast on Raphael Saadiq! This guy makes me want to boogie! I absolutely love what this guy has to offer. Seriously enjoy this one, SuperForest!

And last! Perhaps the two people who really embody my ideal musicians, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who make up the Swell Season. I love these two brilliant human beings, and they are both simply beautiful. Thank you’s to both of them. (I have shared this video before, but it is worth it to share it here again!)

So there you have it SuperForest! Music that speaks straight to me, and musicians who I feel truly embody music to its fullness. I am always in the search for new and exciting musicians, so please head over to SuperForest Soundtrack to recommend to us YOUR favourite artists! I look forward to your sharing. Have a beautiful Saturday (and weekend) SuperForest!

Much, much musical love,

Mathew

Things We Love: The World Cup

This year marks a milestone for the world footballing community.  The 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa!  This is the first time this huge and amazing event has graced the shores of Africa.  THIS IS BIG!  African nations are rearing to show the world what they can produce on the pitch, but also that an African country can hold such a major event with success and style!  I for one have the highest of confidence that this World Cup will live long, long, loonnggg in the memory of football history.  I am so excited for this, as football is probably my largest passion with permaculture coming in a close second.

Football is in many ways a life of its own.  I know people look at sports and can say it is kind of silly, and I agree with them except for football.  Football, being the largest supported, watched, and played sport in the world, has something that other sports don’t have.  Football has power.  In the darker times players have been killed for bad performances, countries have gone to war over a match, namely Honduras and El Salvador, and their have been scandals and cheats.  But more than these dark times there has been peace, enjoyment, life, and passion.  Football has literally reopened peace talks between nations.  In 2008 Armenia and Turkey used the beautiful game to reopen treaty talks.  This led to recreating a relationship between the two nations!!  The United States alone has had a few key matches that brought it close to political enemies or rivals.  Cuba and United States faced each other for the first time since 1947 during World Cup Qualifying.  The infamous Iran vs US game in 1998 brought media attention to the fact that these two countries faced each other without incident.  In fact, before the match the players presented gifts to each other in signs of, at least, a shared humanity.

Is football, or sports, our answer for world peace?  No.  But it can help.  This is why football is special.  It sits highly so many people’s hearts and souls that it has the power to move them.  This is why I think it so amazing that the tournament graces South Africa this summer.  A country that has struggled for its own peace and equality is now holding one of the largest tournaments in our day (only matched by the Olympics).  Then they also chose K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag” as the main song of the tournament.  I have already shared this with you, but I would like share this new version with you!

That song is going to single handily make this summer’s World Cup one of the most memorable.  That song screams of humanity and peace.  That is what football is really about for me.  It is a living organism that has the power to change, awaken, and adapt the world around us.  It is one of the few tournaments the world comes together to celebrate, and I believe it does more so during the World Cup than during the Olympics.  So the upcoming months are BIG!  They are exciting!  And I cannot wait to share them all with you.  I will certainly be keeping updates about the tournament here, and share any other amazing things I can with you regarding football and the South Africa 2010 World Cup!

By the way, K’naan isn’t totally alone.  Akon has written a song that is being featured in a Pepsi commercial.  I’d like to share that too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1hMSL7vyD0

And just for kicks here is the official video, which is also beautifully done!  It is really super, super cool!

Football is not only a game. It is a passion and an art.  It is called “Joga Bonito” for a good reason.  So go check it out if you aren’t a follower.  Go to youtube and check out “street football” or “best world cup moments.”  You will feel the passion.  SuperForest just got hooked!  So be on the look out for my next World Cup Update.  So SuperFoersters I ask that today you:

Talk with your feet, play with your heart

Much love to you all,

Mathew

SuperForest Soundtrack: K’naan

Heyyy theerrree SuperForest!

SuperForester Mathew here, and it is my pleasure to introduce to you one of my favourite artists!  Some of you might know him from this summer on the Gratitude Café Tour , where he and G. Love jammed with Mr. A-Z.  Others of you might have heard him through a friend, or seen former posts (here and here) on SuperForest about him.  Or some of you know his hit song, Wavin’ Flag, which is the song of the World Cup in South Africa.  So without further ado it is my pleasure to share with you,  K’naan!!  He is from Somalia originally, but fled his home country in 1991 after the Somali Civil War broke out, leaving on the last commercial flight out of Somalia.  He landed in New York City to only leave once again to Canada.  He had been a gifted musician his whole life, which is no surprise seeing that his grandfather and aunt were two of the most famous artists in Somalia, it ran in his blood.  He and his friends would dance to American rap tunes before he had learned English, he just loved the beats.  His songs are often stories or reflections on his own life, and each story is beyond moving.  Here is the story behind his hit Wavin’ Flag:

It brings chills every time I listen to it.  Perhaps you all can tell, but there is more to this man than just his songs.  K’naan is a preacher of peace, love, forgiveness, and so much more.  He uses the struggles of his life to empower the world with hope and peace.  Now that is SuperForesty!

This next video is the of the same concert, and story, but there is something in it that I want to show you.  Skip it ahead to the 2nd min and watch until the whole band starts to play (or listen to the rest of the song…it is worth it).  And thanks to my good friend Christian Carrion for this footage (it is super quality)!

That’s who K’naan is.  In those few seconds, I believe, we get a glimpse into what he is all about.  I’ll throw up some more of his music videos for all of you because I know you will want to see more!  He has two albums out now, and is on tour with Wale as we speak!  Go check out his website here, it is worth it to see if you can go see him (you can trust me here I went  a few weeks ago, and it was incredible), and his website is fun to browse around as well!

ABC’s (with Cubb Rock)

Dreamer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsTXvNVY4Vg

On the Gratitude Café Tour with Mraz & G. Love

And finally Wavin’ Flag (World Cup Version, different lyrics)

Much love to you all!  Have a great Tuesday everyone,

Mathew

J.Period and K’NAAN – The Messengers (Episode 3: Bob Dylan)

knaanpic1

(Photo: Estrofest)

K’NAAN who we saw perform at Jason Mraz at Jones Beach as the opener has released today the following on twitter:

Iamknaan: An offering… The Messengers #3: @iamknaan @jperiodbk with Bob Dylan. FREE download: http://bit.ly/3Wkaqk pls share with world

An album worth of remixed Bob Dylan! In collaboration with J.Period, a Brooklyn based hip hop DJ

Enjoy!

Love

jackie

K’naan – “Dreamer”

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“Yeah, I’m a dreamer. But I ain’t the only one…
Got problems, but we love to have fun…”

K’naan is rad. Read his wiki-wiki-wiki aloha!
Here’s his site.

Thank you, SuperForester Lindsay, for telling us about K’naan!

LOVE.