National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

Ben Harper's soulful vocals and amazing slide guitar solos are given a new venue in this episode of Geo Sessions. Growing up in the Folk Music Center Museum – his family's music store – Harper discovered his passion for music at a young age. Exposed to a wide variety of music ranging from Scottish bagpipes to Native American ceremonial songs, Ben was predisposed to focus on sound.

In Geo Sessions: Ben Harper, Ben performs songs from his album Lifeline including "Fight Outta You", "In the Colors" and "Fool for a Lonesome Train." He shares what inspires him to create some of his most powerful songs – from American politics to standing up for what you believe in.

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Ben Harper & Relentless7 Geo Session Part 1

Ben Harper & Relentless 7 Geo Session Part 2

There's been a small musical revolution brewing in Europe lately. Led by a wave of female singer-songwriters with Nigerian roots - Ayo, Asa and Nneka - the latest generation of African immigrants to grow up in Europe is finding its voice. But unlike previous generations, these newcomers aren't content to be relegated to the world music ghetto. They're as comfortable with soul, r&b, hip-hop, reggae and good old-fashioned pop as they are with Afropop, and they're reshaping the European pop charts in their wake. And the latest talent to join the fray is Paris-based funksters Bibi Tanga & The Selenites.

Led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Bienvenu "Bibi" Tanga, the group bridges the divide between the arty South Bank of the Seine and the gritty suburbs, where Bibi grew up as an immigrant from the Central African Republic. Their music is marked by slinky, sinuous basslines and Bibi's wicked falsetto that conjures up Prince and Curtis Mayfield, while producer Professeur Inlassable ("The Tireless Professor") digs deep beneath the cobblestones of Paris to unearth the sound and spirit of another era. Together with Bibi's band The Selenites, the duo forges a stunningly original new sound, and creates a space where Afro-futurism meets steampunk, Fela Kuti jams with Sidney Bechet, and Marcel Duchamp gets down to Chic.

Bibi Tanga has been making a big splash at home, and is poised to do so in the U.S. on April 21st with the digital release of the It's The Earth That Moves EP. But right now the group is getting the word out in Europe, with a tour that includes high profile gigs at both the WOMAD Festival in Spain, and Nat Geo Live's Earth Day Concert in Rome's famed Piazza del Populo on Wed., April 22nd, where he'll be appearing with Ben Harper and Italian band, Subsonica (the concert will also be webcast live on the Nat Geo Music site. See box for details).

Nat Geo Music caught up with Bibi at his home in Paris to discuss his upcoming appearance at the Earth Day Concert, and find out what "going green" means to him.

Nat Geo Music: So are you ready for your Earth Day debut in Rome?

Bibi Tanga: Oh yes! I'm excited – it's the first time we're playing in Rome, and our first time playing a really big festival. I think we're going to be playing for the right audience there.

What makes it the right audience?

The size, man! We're ready for the big, big crowds now! [laughs] But also it's the right audience because of the message of the concert – I think that people who come out to support Earth Day are going to be very progressive people who will connect with our music. I'm not a politician, but I do have some things to say... [laughs]

Like what?

Come to Rome and find out! [laughs]

I was going to ask if you were nervous, but clearly that's not a problem…

Not at all. I don't get nervous when I perform. The bigger the crowd, the better. We've played live on TV in France before. I love doing that. It's like a… how do you say? A tightrope walker… there is no room for mistakes. I love that kind of challenge.

The only thing I am nervous about is the title of our single ["It's The Earth That Moves"]. I hope that it's not inappropriate after the earthquake [in L'Aquila] earlier this month. A lot of people died and everybody is still thinking about it. People's feelings are still very raw. Even though I wrote this song over a year ago–and it's not about earthquakes–I still want to be sensitive, you know? We're still gonna sing it, and I hope that people will just want to dance to it and have a good time… maybe [it will] even help them heal and forget the sadness a little bit.

It's your first show in Italy, do you think the Italians will dig your music in general?

Of course. I think Italy is going to love us. They gave the world Opera, so they know something about music! [laughs] Italians love good music and they love to dance, you know? So I hope that they love us, too.

Any thoughts on Earth Day itself?

I'm definitely concerned about the environment. I'm worried for the planet. I believe that we're all children of the earth and that we need to take care of the planet - even if it's just doing little things that add up. I don't really have time to get involved in organizations or politics, but I recycle, for instance. Little actions can make a difference, you know?

Do you consider yourself an environmentalist?

Not especially. I think I'm average. I live in the city, in Paris, but I love to go to the country, to be in nature. It feels like going back to your own soul when you're in nature. It's like going back to your origins, and I think that's important to protect. Not just for ourselves, but for our children. The earth doesn't just belong to us, we're holding it for the next generation, too. So we have to take a lot of care so they don't get angry when they remember us. [laughs]

Your parents are from the Central African Republic and you spent part of your childhood there – are there any African environmental issues that you're concerned about? Like climate change or clean drinking water?

Well the water is pretty good where I grew up. I know that's a big problem in other parts of Africa, but in my country it's very safe.

But climate change is a huge problem all over Africa and it definitely affects my country, too. The weather is changing there. They don't have seasons anymore. There used to be a dry season and a rainy season, now there's no more dry season – it's raining all the time.

That's surprising – a lot of countries in Africa are experiencing the opposite problem: desertification.

That's true, but I think that's what they say about climate change – dry countries will get drier and wet countries will get wetter. Either way it's very disruptive to traditional agriculture, you know? And not just in Africa… I saw a documentary the other night about the Aral Sea and how it's almost completely dried up because of industrial agriculture… that's crazy!

Climate change affects immigration patterns, too… are you seeing more "environmental refugees" in Europe now?

[laughs] I never heard this term before, but I think it's definitely true. So many more Africans are coming to Europe now than ever before… and many die in small boats when they cross. And many of them are coming because they can't make a living in the traditional way where they live. Maybe they used to be farmers or pastoralists, but now they have no more opportunities, so they move. They emigrate. Their local problems become global.

So Africa's problems become Europe's problems?

But not just Africa! I think this is happening everywhere… we are all connected in the world now. America, Europe, China… we're the big polluters in the world, and the small countries in Africa, South America, the Southern Hemisphere… they pay the price.

You do have a lot to say, after all…

I told you! [laughs] I'm not a politician, I just want to play my music and make people dance. But if you give me a microphone and the opportunity to talk to people, I'm going to tell them how I feel… but that's all I'm saying for now. If you want to hear more, watch the concert!

• Nat Geo Live Earth Day Concert Webcast
• It's The Earth That Moves Video
• Buy It's The Earth That Moves Digital EP at iTunes

In 2008 our National Geographic office in Istanbul teamed up with one of Turkey's biggest stars, Sezen Aksu, to produce a music video celebrating Earth Day. Aksu has sold over 40 million albums since her 1975 debut and is known as the "Queen of Turkish Pop." She liked the idea of supporting National Geographic's work around Earth Day and agreed to lend us her song "Dansoz Dunya," which in English means "Fickle World." We edited together natural images from National Geographic's video libraries and came up with this musical celebration of the planet.

Watch "Dansoz Dunya" Video Here

To celebrate Earth Day, Nat Geo Music channel is hosting a live broadcast concert featuring Grammy award-winning artist Ben Harper with Relentless 7, in Rome's famed Piazza del Popolo. The concert will air live on April 22nd beginning at 8 p.m. in Italy (2 p.m. US EST), and will be featured simultaneously on Nat Geo Music channel, www.natgeomusic.net, in the United States and www.natgeotv.com/earthday internationally. All of the concert's carbon emissions will be offset by planting 1,000 trees this fall in Rome's Riserva della Valle dell'Aniene park. The project is run through Impatto Zero, an initiative from Italian organization LifeGate that enables individuals and organizations to offset carbon emissions through tree-planting.

Ben Harper will perform with Relentless7, featuring Jason Mozersky (guitarist), Jordan Richardson (drummer) and Jesse Ingalls (bassist). Ben Harper and Relentless7 will perform songs from their upcoming album White Lies for Dark Times, which will be released in Italy on April 24 and in the United States on May 5.

The concert will also mark the debut performance of Bibi Tanga & The Selenites, one of the first signings to Nat Geo Music's new record label. In celebration of Earth Day, Nat Geo Music will release Bibi Tanga's It's The Earth That Moves EP on April 21. The digital-only EP will mark the first ever release on the recently launched Nat Geo Music label. Also on stage will be Subsonica, an Italian-based group whose fusion of electronic and rock music helped them sell out their most recent European tour.

"Music is an excellent way to connect people to an important issue and inspire them to act. Nat Geo Music channel is pleased to partner with Ben Harper and Relentless7 to increase understanding about the environmental challenges facing our planet. All of our actions can — and do — make a difference," said Sydney Suissa, executive vice president of content for NGCI.

The Nat Geo Music concert is just one of the many events that National Geographic Channels International will be holding around the world to help raise environmental awareness and encourage everyone that "what you do counts." Digital exhibits featuring imagery from photographer James Balog for National Geographic Channel's "Extreme Ice" will be held in select territories, including India and Taiwan. The images uniquely illustrate the effects of climate change on the coldest regions of our planet through special time-lapse camera technology. In Portugal, National Geographic Channel has constructed an eco-friendly house that demonstrates how to "green" your home without making a huge investment or foregoing everyday comforts.

Embracing the concept of raising awareness through music, National Geographic Channel in Latin America has launched a music contest through MySpace for viewers to submit a song that helps increase understanding about significant environmental issues. National Geographic Channels International has also recently partnered with the EMI record label and Spanish band Macaco on a special music video for Earth Day featuring acclaimed actor Javier Bardem.

Nat Geo Music

Nat Geo Music channel speaks in the rhythms of the world. Following seasoned artists whose anthems have bridged borders and emerging talents revolutionizing the music scene, Nat Geo Music gives viewers an authentic sound rich in diversity. Explore the world's vibrant cultures through lyrics and beats. Music videos, long-form and short-form programming put songs into context, illustrating how music can impact, inspire and transform.

Nat Geo Music launched in October 2007 and is now available in Italy, Portugal and Latin America with further expansion expected globally. The channel is part of National Geographic Channels International (NGCI), along with the National Geographic Channel, National Geographic Channel HD, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Adventure.

National Geographic Channels International

National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) invites viewers to rethink the way they see television — and the world — with smart, innovative programming. A business enterprise owned by National Geographic Television (NGT) and FOX Entertainment Group, NGCI contributes to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education through its five channels: National Geographic Channel, National Geographic Channel HD, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Adventure and Nat Geo Music.

Globally, National Geographic Channel (including NGC U.S., which is a joint venture of NGT and Fox Cable Networks Group) is available in 305 million homes in 165 countries and 34 languages.

For more information, please visit www.natgeotv.com

• Watch Ben Harper & Relentless7's New Shimmer & Shine Video Here
• Ben Harper & Relentless7 e-Card

In Geo Sessions, a series produced exclusively for Nat Geo Music, intimate concert performances are combined with in-depth interviews give viewers unique access to the music, passion, and inspiration of recording artists from all over the world. Episodes feature some of today's top musicians including Ben Harper, Aimee Mann, the Marley Brothers, Seu Jorge, Taj Mahal and Gogol Bordello.

This year two Geo Sessions alumnae were honored with Grammy Awards. Mickey Hart (pictured) and his Global Drum Project took home a statue for Best Contemporary World Music Album. While The Blind Boys of Alabama won their fifth Grammy for Best Traditional Gospel Album, and were also honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award. Nat Geo Music is proud to make both artists' Geo Sessions available on the internet for the first time.

Geo Sessions: Blind Boys of Alabama

In this episode of Geo Sessions, The Blind Boys offer a soul-stirring set of gospel music as never heard before. Fifty years deep into the music game, the Blind Boys of Alabama certainly do not look as though they have any intention of slowing down if this episode of Geo Sessions is any indication. Lead singer Jimmy Carter was one of the groups founders when they were established as the Happyland Singers at a Alabama's Talladega Institute for the Blind in the early 1940s; a promoter in New Jersey booked the group along with another group of blind singers from Mississippi and hyped it as a duel between 'The Blind Boys of Alabama' and 'The Blind Boys of Mississippi.' The name stuck. Songs like 'Amazing Grace', which is melded onto the frame of the Son House blues classic 'House of the Rising Sun,' 'Down By The Riverside,' and 'Soldier (In The Army of the Lord)' all show that the Blind Boys know how to raise souls and bring down the house at the same time.

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Geo Sessions: Mickey Hart and Global Drum Project

Ex-Grateful Dead Drummer Mickey Hart brings his band of international percussion masters to Geo Sessions, mesmerizing viewers with intricate patterns of rhythm. With performances of songs including 'Groove' and 'Baba', the band interlaces stories about how each drummer followed a different path to becoming a musician. Mickey also discusses how humans are creatures of rhythm, living in a world of rhythm – and how the mesmerizing trance of rhythm can uplift. Finally, the band performs the song 'Wood' on two giant tree roots – one a grapevine and the other a redwood – while also performing with a variety of hammers brushes, their fingers bringing out different pitches and patterns.

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