Guest blog by Eden Hagos
Gabriel Teodros, Meklit Hadero and Burntface aka Elias Fullmore are
three artists whose careers prove that it is in fact possible to entertain
while standing for something more than the superficiality that passes for
(mainstream) music nowadays. But it is together, as music trio Copperwire, that
they are rewriting the boundaries of music and storytelling.
As a diasporan I find a sense of comfort and
belonging in Copperwire’s music that just can’t be matched in the physical
world. Their songs touches on themes such as home and belonging that resonate
with immigrants like myself, but that also speak to the human experience in
general.
As a fundraiser I watched in awe as they kicked off
a $25,000 Kickstarter campaign to fund Starbound – a sequel to Earthbound. And
when they reached their goal I silently cheered them on, inspired by their
success and excited to see the end result.
But it is as an
artist that their work inspires me the most - not only to challenge myself to
come up with new forms of expression but also to be more creative in my
collaborations. Earthbound, which the group describes as a “hip-hop space opera”, transcends the physical and social barriers of
nation and genre, and takes us to the outer limits of the universe. The album
includes a sci-fi backstory with alter egos which can be found on their website.
Starbound,
which they are currently working on, will forever change the way audiences
listen to albums. It will include a comic book, games and various remix apps,
all of which will allow the listener to interact with and recreate the songs
they’re listening to. They’re even working with NASA to incorporate the sound
of real stars into their music!
While December 21st, 2012 did not mark
the end of the world in the literal, physical way many feared, I can only hope
that with Copperwire leading the way, 2013 will be the beginning of a new era –
one that thrives on collaboration and revolution.
Through their music and innovation Copperwire is
proving that there is still much that can be done in and through music if
only we allow ourselves to believe it. By creating new ways of thinking about
and listening to an album they have shown that art can be meaningful and
entertaining at the same time and that every artist has the ability to make an
impact on the world.
As we prepare for the 2nd Millionaire Artist Workshop, I hope you will challenge yourself to take your art to
the next level. Join us at the workshop and find out how artists such as trey
anthony are laying claim to their passion and creating new and exciting
opportunities for themselves and others.
In the meantime, I encourage you to check out Copperwire’s work. To start you off here’s one of my favourite songs. Enjoy!
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