New Galapagos DVD: ‘A Musical Odyssey’

Read more about: cinema, film, Galapagos Islands, music, sea turtles, wildlife

Seventh Wave Productions, the independent label of award-winning composer Suzanne Ciani, is releasing a stunning new DVD, “Galapagos: A Musical Odyssey”, the first ever music video of the Galapagos.

Shot in hi def on location by naturalist videographer Robert Grimstone, the production features up-close images of the exotic wildlife of this pristine paradise, together in harmony with Ciani’s enchanting music. Equally shot underwater and on land, the DVD features 11 entertaining and educational music videos.

“Never before has the magic, richness and vitality of nature’s most important evolutionary laboratory been captured so brilliantly with film and music,” says Donald Johanson, Discoverer of Lucy and Founding Director of the Institute of Human Origins. He continues, “This engaging film will leave you forever changed.”

“I was fortunate enough to be invited to visit the Galapagos islands on a week-long boating expedition and had the further good fortune to meet naturalist guide Robert Grimstone,” says Ciani. “This DVD video is the result of our collaboration to bring you a marriage of image and sound: exquisite HD images created by a cinematographer with a deep understanding of the wildlife he is filming, and my music, which has always been inspired by nature and which underscores the personalities and movements of these exotic creatures. It often seems if as if the animals are moving to the music!”

The Galapagos Islands are considered one of the world’s last pristine paradises. They sit astride the equator line in the Pacific some 1,000 kilometers west of Ecuador, their sovereign country. The islands were named for their most striking resident, the giant tortoise, which on some of the islands resembles the raised front of a traditional riding Spanish saddle, a galapago.

“We enter the habitats of these islands without any sense of disturbance, where we can be part of the daily life and rituals of ancient tortoises and sea turtles, playful sea lions, majestic hammerhead sharks and silky manta rays,” explains Grimstone. “This video takes you from sunrise to sunset in the pristine natural theater where we spend quality time with wildlife that has no fear of humans.”

This production represents Ciani’s third DVD release. Shot in 16:9 HDV and presented as 11 musical videos, the main program runs 50 minutes. Its intense imagery brings home theaters to life with 5.1 surround sound. Optional animal subtitles are included, adding to the video’s educational value. Further, it includes a bonus slide show, “An Historic Perspective,” written and narrated by Grimstone and featuring an informative commentary about the natural history of the Galapagos Islands and efforts to conserve them through the Charles Darwin Foundation.

This DVD strongly appeals to a variety of viewers. It’s a must-have for nature lovers, eco-travelers, animal enthusiasts, parents and children. In fact, Ciani’s music is featured on the PBS program, The Music Instinct, for the peaceful response it creates in youngsters that listen to it.

Suzanne Ciani is a five-time Grammy-nominated composer, recording artist, and pioneer in electronic music and sound design. She is best known for her fifteen albums of original music featuring her performances in a broad array of expressions: pure electronic, solo piano, piano with orchestra, and piano with jazz ensemble. Ciani’s other two DVD’s are Natura Poetica, a collection of nature videos and music, and Suzanne Ciani and the Wave Live!, featuring her first live album recording. Suzanne’s award winning music is praised for its romantic, healing, and aesthetic qualities.

Galapagos: A Musical Odyssey is available directly from Seventh Wave Productions at www.sevwave.com and from many retail and web outlets.

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