Stunning New Music Video from Brazil Raises Awareness about Protecting Rainforests

The Rainforest Alliance has teamed up with a group of renowned Brazilian musicians to create an original composition and music video called "I'm Alive: The Floresta da Tijuca Sessions." Featuring big-name artists such as Grammy Award-winning...

April 25, 2014 | Source: Tree Hugger | by Katherine Martinko

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The Rainforest Alliance has teamed up with a group of renowned Brazilian musicians to create an original composition and music video called “I’m Alive: The Floresta da Tijuca Sessions.” Featuring big-name artists such as Grammy Award-winning musicians Caetano Veloso and Lenine, as well as Emicida, Pretinho da Serrinha, Criolo, and Sistah Mo Respect, and narrated by Gisele Bündchen, the song was released on Earth Day 2014.

This unusual project was “designed to raise global awareness about the mission of the Rainforest Alliance and its work in Brazil through the power of film and music.” The organization has worked in Brazil for over 15 years, assisting producers in the cattle ranching, timber extraction, agricultural, and tourism sectors to become more sustainable. With Brazil being one of the biggest emerging markets in the world, this environmental awareness and protection is more important than ever.

For the “I’m Alive” music video, musicians were asked to write compositions that reflected the inspiration they feel from nature. Then they all headed to the Tijuca Forest near Rio de Janeiro for what appears to be an impromptu jam session (though of course it’s more organized than that!) with spectacular views of the surrounding rainforest and ocean.

As someone who adores Brazilian music and has followed several of these musicians for years, I was very interested to see how their very different styles would come together in a single composition. Somehow it all works – Caetano Veloso’s iconic soft bossa nova with Lenine’s growly alternative rock, Pretinho da Serrinha’s melodic samba alongside Criolo’s rapping and Emicida’s hip hop – held together by the refrain sung by Veloso: “And I know that one day I must die . I’m alive.”

While a music video may not seem like much of a step toward environmental preservation, there is something to be said for the ability of music to inspire people to action. The beautiful Portuguese lyrics of this song do make one question the endless cycle of mindless consumption that traps so much of our world.