For this month’s installment of music exclusively curated for Merkaela’s subscription box of organic products, I decided to take you on a quick trip around the world. This month’s theme is ELEVATE and what better way to do that than to inspire a desire to travel, explore and consume unknown cultures.
I got the inspiration for the Elevate playlist from the song River sung by a duo of twin sisters that go by the name of Ibeyi. They are of French-Cuban descent and sing in English and Yoruba, a Nigerian language their ancestors spoke before being brought to Cuba. Their song and use of language alone are like a virtual trip around the world.
Our next stop is a city of Cotonou in the tiny West African nation of Benin. The band called T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo lays down beautiful bossa afro rhythms with a tune Ecoute Ma Melodie. They have an incredible body of work that spans over 500 recordings but what drew me to this song and a lot of the other songs in the playlist is the universality of the music and the groove. Language can certainly be a barrier sometimes, but when it comes to great music it rarely is. A song can be sung in French by the Belgian Stromae or in Portuguese by the Brazilian-born Paris Based Dom La Nena, yet it can completely blow you away without understanding a single lyric.
We round out our journey by visiting artists from places such as London, Jamaica, NYC and few more familiar others. It’s a 2-hour trip that I absolutely loved taking you on. Don’t forget to sign up for Merkaela’s subscription box to receive our monthly playlist first.
Elevate Playlist
You can also sample it below.
About Merkaela:
Merkaela is an all-natural health and wellness subscription service providing handcrafted botanical products, delivered straight to your door. Formulated with you in mind, we aim to create sustainable, chemical-free products that nourish the body, mind, and spirit.
Each month, we send you a box filled with wellness products along with content, affirmations, and music—all specially-curated to a particular theme. Together, these goods create a holistic experience and support a conscientious lifestyle.
[…] “I got the inspiration for the Elevate playlist from the song River sung by a duo of twin sisters that go by the name of Ibeyi. They are of French-Cuban descent and sing in English and Yoruba, a Nigerian language their ancestors spoke before being brought to Cuba. Their song and use of language alone are like a virtual trip around the world.”http://blog.merkaela.com/elevate-playlist/ […]