Feature photo & photo above of Michael Franti, by feverblue
The Matador team curates its favorite inspiring music videos for #MusicMonday.
What do an American Hasidic Jewish rapper and an African-American roots-hip-hop-funk-jazz-folk-rocker adopted and raised by Finnish American couple have in common?
An unshakable belief that music can and should inspire.
That and the fact that they’re both musicians who make our #MusicMonday list of the Internet’s most inspirational music videos.
Here are our favorites… who would you add?
1. Matisyahu: “One Day”, picked by BNT editor, Ian MacKenzie
“‘One Day’ is meant to be an anthem of hope. The song [is] a prayer for peace which Matisyahu hopes will be a source of inspiration for people struggling to open their hearts and stay positive.”
2. Michael Franti & Spearhead: “Hey World (Don’t Give Up)”, picked by BNT editor, Ian MacKenzie
“The music that Franti makes and his dedication to greater understanding on a global level, are not two aspects of his life, but very much one and the same.”
3. Playing for Change, Various Artists: “Stand by Me”, picked by Matador intern, Nancy Harder
Even if you burned out on this song years ago, you’ve gotta love the spirit of the musicians who contributed to this video, and the whole idea behind the Playing for Change project.
4. Wyclef Jean, “Hold On”, picked by MatadorChange editor, Julie Schwietert
Wyclef Jean’s musical message to quake survivors in his home country, Haiti.
5. Bjork, “Declare Independence”, picked by contributing editor, Paul Sullivan
It’s worth noting that one of Paul’s other selections was Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”. Um, Paul, what does *that* inspire?
Community Connection:
Looking for more music? Paul Sullivan keeps you stacked with free beats from around the world in his “#MusicMonday: 50 Music Sites That Matter.”
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10 Comments... join the discussion!
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That one’s on there!
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Ha, Julie, I totally laughed at the Single Ladies pick too! Random, much?
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The imagery in “Declare Independence” is amazing. Who ever came up with that concept should get a raise.
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Awesome post, thanks so much! I hope your #MusicMonday post becomes a regular feature.
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Glad you enjoyed it, Sonya! It will be an occasional feature and we welcome your favorites,too!
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So glad you included Franti. I gotta admit, I have a man-crush on him. Don’t stop at this video, all of his music is so inspirational, so deep and thought-provoking.
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Check out Vince Vaccaros “Costa Rica” A great song!
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Great article! I love Michael Franti.
What I love most about this video is that, like other videos of his I’ve seen,
it moves me. It’s not cheesy; it’s not look at these poor people in the world.
But it’s not clinical either; there’s no mention of poverty rates or any other mind-numbing statistic.Music, and music videos in particular, have the ability to fully engage their audience. I can read a 50-page essay on the state of the world, the plague of poverty that afflicts so many people, but I will not have the same feeling of empathy for the poor, the same feelings of outrage and hope that I get from watching a few minutes’ worth of music video.
Thank you for sharing the power of music with us!
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