From Monsters and Critics.com

Music News
National Geographic explores music
By Chris Marlowe
Jul 18, 2006, 19:00 GMT

National Geographic is known for bringing the world alive through images and stories. Now it has expanded its representation of global cultures by creating a music exploration and purchasing site, enhanced with content from its National Geographic Channel and elsewhere.

National Geographic World Music blends a music store, powered by Calabash Music, with extensive context provided by videos, maps, photos and features from National Geographic magazines, the National Geographic Channel and other editorial activities of the National Geographic Society.

\"World Music is a natural extension of NationalGeographic.com`s rich multimedia experience that entertains, informs and engages consumers who are as passionate about the world`s cultures and the environment as we are,\" National Geographic vice president content operations Betsy Scolnik said. \"World Music fans around the world will be able to listen and learn in one digital experience.\"

Musician, composer and musicologist David Beal, who was president at Palm Pictures, has been key to the project now at http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com.

\"National Geographic felt that music was a great bridge to culture and geography, and at its core National Geographic is inspiring people to care about the planet and who`s on it and their cultures,\" he said. \"People have discovered cultures through the publications, Web site and other great activities, but they`ve never offered a great music experience before.\"

The site is designed to encourage the exploration of the ways people around the world express themselves through music. \"We`re pulling together the resources of the Geographic Society - great editorial, maps and photography - to enable people to navigate music in whatever way they`re comfortable with,\" Beal said.

Scolnik said visitors would be able to dive in to the music from what ever angle piqued their interest.

\"If you`re inspired by a photograph, you`re going to find where that photograph came from, probably watch a video of that place and listen to the music,\" she said. \"And when you find the music, you`ll find stories about the people who make that music and stories about the place that music came from.\"

There also are several types of discovery guidance, including recommended playlists submitted by well-known guests, selected musicians who exemplify specific genres, and artist spotlights determined by editors working under the supervision of Tom Pryor, former editor of Global Rhythms magazine. Searches can be done by artist, genre, country or geographic region as well.

Among the artists featured at launch are Tinariwen, former Tuareg rebels who exchanged their guns for guitars; Sidestepper, a collaboration of British and Colombian talent that meshes together salsa, cumbia, vallenatoand drum `n` bass; and Seu Jorge, a unique voice in Brazilian samba who has appeared in such films as \'City of God\' and who produced the music for films like \'The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou.\'

Other strategic partners include LinkTV for video, and Afropop Worldwide and Global Rhythm for editorial and curatorial content.

Beal and Scolnik noted that this music is not generally available and is difficult for potential fans to find, a situation they are using the power of the Internet to remedy.

\"We`re not there to feature the mainstream,\" Beal said. \"We`re there to add a new dimension to the digital music that`s out there. We`re hoping the site serves as an amplifier for the gems we find out there.\"




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Wow! Can't wait for T R A N C E music from Iceland or H I P H O P music from Tim - Buck - Two!

Oooo Music from the pygmies or the Aboriginals would be so cool