Bjørn Vidø partners with Boohle, LeeMckrazy and other SA stars to shed light on climate change

With snow and heavy rains expected in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, including Durban and other coastal areas next week, musician and climate change expert Bjørn Vidø plans to keep people warm with his latest project. 

The Music In Space experience project is aimed at raising awareness about global warming and climate change. This initiative brings together a diverse range of South African and international artists.

“This is an important time. Everybody can see that the weather is changing. We need our old planet back. We need to change our habits. Our project might be a drop in the ocean, but the ocean is made of drops. Everybody should do everything they can to help. Our contribution as artists is to give the change a language,” he told TimesLIVE. 

The body of work features hip hop sensation Touchline, Ifani, Afropop stars Boohle and Zee Nxumalo and amapiano giants LeeMckrazy, Bizizi and Kaygee.

“They have strong voices and people listen to them. Each artist brings their unique style and voice to the project, contributing to a rich and varied musical experience that resonates with listeners from all walks of life.

“Our lyrics for the Music In Space project are the hardest I have ever done. All songs have a double meaning. When we sing “you are a rock star”, we talk about your capacity to change your life. The club banger Party is a song about pollution. So 'all I did was a party' means 'all I did was polluting'. It’s subtle, but you will get it quickly when you listen to the lyrics.”

Speaking about how music can influence climate change and action, Bjørn said: “We all have a soundtrack in our life. When we fall in love, when we break up. The news doesn’t change people’s habits. The project works with what astronauts call 'the overview effect', a phenomenon that changes their perspective on the planet when looking down on Earth.”

Kgomotso Gobeni, COO of Music In Space, leads the creative powerhouse. She is behind all the music production and she directed and shaped the sound and direction of their projects.

“We need our public figures to use their voices and platforms to make an impact and Bjørn is one artist who will pull all the stops to do that. His passion for the environment is inspiring. When he showed me his vision I totally understood and resonated with the difference he wanted to make,” said Kgomotso.