Have you seen the "Yes We Can" music video?

[sniffa]

Musicians have been turning up the volume in support of political causes for ages - performing at rallies and fund-raisers, penning topical tunes, and lending star power, for what it's worth, to their candidate of choice.

But this is the first election of the YouTube era, and will.i.am - frontman for the socially conscious rap group Black Eyed Peas, which performed at the Democratic National Convention in Boston four years ago - wanted to do more. Inspired by the speech Barack Obama delivered in Nashua the night of the state primary, will.i.am set Obama's text to simple guitar and a soulful melody, recruited 36 artists to appear in a music video that was conceived, shot, and edited over three days last week, and posted "Yes We Can" online over the weekend.

It's been spreading like wildfire across the Web. As of midday yesterday, "Yes We Can" had been viewed more than 2 million times on YouTube and, according to a project spokesman, 10 million times on the host website, YesWeCanSong.com.

snip

The split-screen video features clips of the candidate speaking alongside shots of R&B singer John Legend, actress Scarlett Johansson, rapper Common, jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, actor-singer Nick Cannon, rocker Ed Kowalczyk, and others echoing Obama's spoken words in song. Will.i.am set the song's tempo to synch up with the New Hampshire audience, which supplies the song's rhythm with chants of "We want change, we want change!"

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/02/07/video_woven_with_obama_speech_catches_fire_on_youtube/

I posted it in the Video Forum
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=91560&mesg_id=91560

[Buzz Clik]

1. kick! kick! kick! kick! RECOMMEND!

Too busy yesterday to see this.

Awesome. Stirring.

moving...


Thanks, sniffa. I'll be passing this along to all my friends.

[sniffa]

3. You're welcome

I've listened/watched it twice and each time was equally verclempt.

It's been viewed over 2 million times already.

[QC]

2. Is this the one?

[Buzz Clik]

5. Most people would call that a "still photograph", not a music video.

Videos require both music and some sort of action, even if it's just a slide show.

I'm guessing that the pic of Cruise is "not it".

[jlake]

8. LOL

[SaveOurDemocracy]

12. lol ... that was sooooooooooo bad

:spank:

[stellanoir]

4. Hey sniffa

check out this incredibly powerful article written by WILL.I.AM describing the creative process he went through that inspired him to make that video

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william/why-i-recorded-yes-w_b_84655.html

The whole article is really moving but this excerpt makes a succinct point I've not seen anyone else make.

". . ."change for the better"
Inspiration breeds change...

"Positive change"...

no one on this planet is truly experienced to handle the obstacles we face today...
Terror, fear, lies, agendas, politics, money, all the above...
It's all scary...

Martin Luther King didn't have experience to lead...
Kennedy didn't have experience to lead...
Susan B. Anthony...
Nelson Mandela...
Rosa Parks...
Gandhi...
Anne Frank...
and everyone else who has had a hand in molding the freedoms we have and take for granted today...

no one truly has experience to deal with the world today...

they just need "desire, strength, courage ability, and passion" to change...
and to stand for something even when people say it's not possible...

America would not be here "today" if we didn't stand and fight for
change "yesterday"...
Everything we have as a "people" is because of the "people" who fought for
change...
and whoever is the President has to realize we have a lot of changing to do

I'm not trying to convince people to see things how i do...
I produced this song to share my new found inspiration and how I've been moved...
I hope this song will make you feel...
love...
and think...
and be inspired just like the speech inspired me...

that's all..."

on edit-here's a direct link to the video http://www.dipdive.com/

[sniffa]

6. Nice. Thanks for that.

:hi:

How have you been?

[stellanoir]

16. groovin' and you . . .?

[sniffa]

17. Pretty damn good thank you. :)

It's been a whirlwind week, and dare I say it, I'm now fired up and ready to go. :o

It's nice to see you. :hi:

[bicentennial_baby]

7. K&R!

:kick:

:*

[sniffa]

9. Thank you love

:loveya:

[AlCzervik]

10. i saw that in one of the many emails i get a day from Obama, it's nicely done

my daughters looooooves it.

[sniffa]

11. Seriously

It's goose bumpy. :loveya:

[AlCzervik]

13. i felt that way as well, it was dare i say it.....inspiring?

you know after i took my daughter to see him in sf i was feeling pretty damn positive about things.

[sniffa]

18. I know

and I don't understand why anyone would shit on that feeling. Well, I know why, but...

[hedgehog]

14. Not only did I see it, but I sent it out on my e-mail list.

And I'm going to be buying me some Black Eyed Peas!

[sniffa]

15. Rock on

Spread it far and wide. :bounce:

[Iktomiwicasa]

19. That was very nice....

I saw black folks there, and white ones, asian people and latino people....all good...


....but I didn't see any of my own people in there. Indians are still invisible in their own land :(

[Scurrilous]

20. K & R

:thumbsup:

[KittyWampus]

21. very powerful but would have helped to have lyrics appear on screen.

[Cha]

22. Michelle sent it to me and thousands

of others.. When Will i am was interviewed with Jesse Dylan the reporter asked if Obama knew about this and he said he hadn't been in contact with them..he just was inspired to do it. Well, Obama's seen it NOW!

[blogslut]

23. I was lovely

I am amazed at the vast amount of unsolicited art coming from folks that support Barack.