Los Cedros Cloud Forest, Cosmo Sheldrake, Robert Macfarlane - Song of the Cedars
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ธ.ค. 2024
- In a groundbreaking move for legal and environmental history, the MOTH (More Than Human) Life Collective is submitting a petition to Ecuador’s copyright office to recognize the Los Cedros cloud-forest as the co-creator of a song titled "Song of the Cedars,” composed in collaboration with musician Cosmo Sheldrake, writer Robert Macfarlane, field mycologist Giuliana Furci, and legal scholar César Rodríguez-Garavito. This will be the first legal attempt to recognise an ecosystem’s moral authorship in the co- creation of a work of art.
The petition proposes to extend the already established legal personhood of the Los Cedros Biological Reserve, recognized by Ecuador’s Constitutional Court in 2021, when it ruled in favour of cancelling mining permits in the reserve. The "Song of the Cedars" case is poised to take this recognition a step further, extending it into the creative domains. This action creates a legal path whereby the natural world is acknowledged as a vital creative force. The rights that the petition pursues for Los Cedros and the human co-creators are moral rights - that is, recognition of co-authorship - as opposed to economic rights over royalties. The song will be both available for free download and released on streaming platforms; any income generated through the latter will go directly to the recently established Los Cedros Fund for the protection of the cloud forest.
The song has been released by MOTH Records, a label emerging from the MOTH Life Collective, which platforms music created in collaboration with the living world - a noisy, musical place with the power to change the way we think, feel and imagine.
This legal case aims to disrupt traditional anthropocentric copyright frameworks by granting creative rights to a non-human natural entity. This is the first known attempt in any jurisdiction to establish the 'moral authorship' of an ecosystem as a co-creator in a work. The forest’s essence is embedded in the song -- an immersive musical experience that includes natural sounds such as Toucan barbets, echo-locating bats, Howler monkeys, crickets, rustling leaves and even a subterranean recording of the soil taken from the exact location where a new species of fungus was collected and described. These were recorded in the upper regions of Los Cedros in 2022, during an expedition organised by Robert Macfarlane as part of the fieldwork for his upcoming book about rivers and the rights of nature movement, Is A River Alive? (due to be published in May 2025).
“Soundscapes of a specific ecosystem are unique, and the sum of all the sounds and noises can be thought of as the ‘voice’ of that place. In a healthy ecosystem, species evolved in such a way that they each communicate and vocalise without drowning each other out, leaving space for each other both in time and frequency creating a rich polyphony. This was both a huge source of inspiration and a large part of the song: the living voice of Los Cedros Forest,” says musician Cosmo Sheldrake.
The submission of this petition marks a milestone in the evolving Rights of Nature movement, with the goal of extending moral rights to non-humans; in this case to an ecosystem. The right of “moral authorship” has thus far been recognized only in human creators. If the petition is denied, the MOTH Collective intends to bring this case to the Constitutional Court, in collaboration with Ecuadorian lawyers.
The song is officially released on October 29th, during the COP16 in Cali, Colombia, where musician Cosmo Sheldrake will perform it at a joint 3F Initiative, MOTH and Fungi Foundation side event.
Stream the song here - found.ee/songo...
My music, shows/tour dates, merch, socials and more can be found here
linktr.ee/cosm...
Lyrics:
Trees, speak in your leaves, please
and streams, tell me your dreams x4
Birds, sing me your rhymes, please
and stones, teach me your time x4
Earth, cover my limbs now
and mold, thrive on my skin x4
Thrive on my skin... x2
Clouds, deepen my sight, please
Storms, lend me your life x2
Earth, cover my limbs now
Mold, thrive on my skin x2
----
-for the quiet chant in the background, I believe it's in Spanish and I don't know if I heard it right but it potentially sounds like:-
-hora vio (time saw)-
-pája vio (birds saw)-
-fluye vio (streams saw)-
corre río (run, river)
baja río (go down, river)
fluye río (flow, river)
💚
Thank you!
i may be wrong but i’m hearing “corre río, baja río, fluye río” meaning “run, river; go down, river; flow, river”
@@happyconstructor this sounds much more accurate, thank you!! 💚
hooray thank you!
Thank you for this! A small note, personally I hear the line ‘stones lend me your life’ as ‘storms lend me your life’, though I may be wrong. I just wanted to leave a small reply, have a nice day, stranger! :]
Sad story: I live in the Pacific NW in the US. When I moved into my home 2.5 years ago, I was attracted to the many towering old Red Cedars dotting the property. In that time 6 have completely died and were cut down by the owners, and 2 more are showing signs. It's climate change. It's so hard watching it happen and not be able to do anything to save them.
In Italy we have witnessed many invasive species damaging our ecosystems and I feel you.
That's why I took part in a scientific information group to inform people and help them understand.
Will this really help? I don't know but is still something.
There’s more possible answers here. Disease or old age, for example.
Disease pathology is affected by climate change.
A weakened organism is less likely to survive an infection than a healthy one.
And cedars can live many hundreds of years, the probability that they'd all reach their natural age to die so close together is very low.
Climate change is the wrong language to use tbh, because it attributes the death to an increase in CO2 alone, which, considering trees consume CO2, and CO2 generally increases plant growth and size, is unlikely. Humanities impact on the world through many (manyy) huge ecological changes could be playing a part, or they could have died of old age. Time moves forward for us all, death is a transition not an end, in my opinion. I still feel your sadness though, I love plants all the same.
@@kapuatron it isn't. temperature / hotter weather patterns (read: climate...) - not just CO2 - are climate change. cedars, redwoods, oaks, and a ton of native plants along the western coast have been weakened and killed en masse by increasingly severe droughts that leave them susceptible to parasitic insects they used to live in harmony with... fires that used to help them reproduce now obliterate them... winds they used to bear the force of now flatten forests because they are too dry. i've seen it myself. it's catastrophic, and the conditions to grow future generations of these trees & reforest them are increasingly fractured.
I study native plants in california, so rant over... just tired of the "we don't know why, it's just life maybe". it's not. we do know why, it's not normal at all, and it's preventable. there are a host of native communities who have the techniques and answers to healing this land, if the shit*ss government would give them some autonomy. redwoods rising is one of the few orgs that has indigenous people as part of their leadership for example, and they're doing great things!
Breathtaking. This is a beautiful reminder that birds, insects, and wind through the canopy have been making music for far longer than we have.
Incredible! If the co-authorship of the forest is actually recognized, this could be ground breaking! just. amazing!
ground breaking, soil collecting even hehe
I remember Sheldrake speaking about how nature plays such an important part in his music he considers is as a co-author and was looking for meaningful ways to "pay nature back". I hope this idea of thinking spreads and people appreciate the diversity of the world we find ourselves in!
@@glizzygoat If youve not seen, theres the artist "NATURE" on Spotify, which Cosmo kinda also used in that way tho it seems people mostly use more like just a charity, so thats neat, some pretty big artists
@@glizzygoat Theres the "Nature" artist thing on Spotify so thats a bit like it and cool (old message of mine not deleted Idk why)
The voice of the Los Cedros cloud forest is beautiful. I love the idea of the forest being made co-creator for this song, it deserves its recognization (as all of nature does).
the idea to credit the sounds of the forest i love this
I think you'd like his song Soil then :) Made by Cosmo Sheldrake collaborating with mushrooms
As a senior year bio major, your songs convey the magic of nature in a way that tickles my brain more than any other musical artist has
Howdy, fellow senior bio major! I'm also super excited for this song since I got the chance to travel to a cloud forest in a few months.
What's your favorite area? I'm particular to lichens, moss, and riparian habitats.
Welcome to the cove :)
Thank you for being such an active member in saving our ecosystems, and our planet. Truly hope this Act gets passed so Los Cedros Biological Reserve can be connected to this wonderful piece of art they helped create
Everytime I see a notification that you've posted a video a smile comes to my face, we're blessed by your music
Haven’t even finished the song and I already love it so much. Cosmo really does just make every song perfectly encapsulate nature and wonder. It’s truly amazing. Keep it up fae king
This is so unbelievably beautiful, and the intent behind it even moreso-crediting the ecosystem for the wonderful art it creates, that it is in itself. Before even reading the description this felt deeply connected to the world, to nature; even beyond the original intent, i feel like it really portrays the wisdom and comfort the woods can give you if you listen and ask :)
I love this. It's such an innovative way to bridge the rift between humankind and the natural world, you're literally giving voice to an entire ecosystem. Huge respect.
This is beautiful. The near-acapella with usage of rarely seen instruments in songs this decade. The harmonies mix so well and the natural soundscape is just.. 🤌✨ AND THEN THE LAYERING!??!? BEAUTIFUL.
I hope this goes through, it's an inherently good decision and choice for humanity to acknowledge the world around them and its contributions.
Spirituality in action 😊
(fuck yeah)
Read the description and this is really cool. One of the reasons you're one of my favorite artists is because of all the natural sounds you use and the thought behind it. This song sounds beautiful
This track is so uniquely atmospheric, Cosmo never ceases to amaze me!
Bellísima canción! Thanks Cosmo, Guiliana, Robert and the beautiful Los Cedros Forest, that always amaze me,
I love it, it's so beautiful, atmospheric and peaceful, and I love the idea behind this song - to recognise creator's rights of nature itself. I wish humans and nature always worked together as coauthors.
I love the artwork and the bat, ur voice is very relaxing, listening to this at 3 am in backyard is such nice experience.
You live in the middle east or central Asia (according to the time mentioned in your comment)
@@ShoummoBairagi correct:)
@@PlantGirl_y2k Yay 🥳
I love the choice to have the end mostly just be unedited real sounds of the cedar forest, directly showing what you are singing about.
This song is amazing… The sound of the forest and the meaning behind it is so important. Thank you!
All the best for you all! Giving a ecosystem creative rights is an interesting proposition, and if successful can be an interesting avenue for art and presentation.
This is beautiful, I hope all the legal proceedings go smoothly!!
i fell asleep immediately after listening to this song last night because it was simply that pleasant and relaxing, and i woke up feeling more rested than i have in a long time
Listening to this outside on a peaceful night with the subtle sond of birds and crickets interlaying with the music just creates an indescribable feeling of peace and connection to this wonderful world we've been blessed with. It makes me want to close my eyes and silently lament my gratitude to God, letting the soft warm breeze roll over me as I lie in the grass or the gentle sway of a hammock. Beautiful.
*Lyrics for anyone who wants to read/sing along :)*
[Verse 1]
(Corre río)
Trees, speak in your leaves, please
And streams, tell me your dreams
(Fluye río)
Trees, speak in your leaves, please
And streams, tell me your dreams
(Baja río)
Trees, speak in your leaves, please
And streams, tell me your dreams
(Corre río)
Trees, speak in your leaves, please
And streams, tell me your dreams
(Fluye río)
[Verse 2]
Birds, sing me your rhymes, please
And stones, teach me your times
(Baja río)
Birds, sing me your rhymes, please
And stones, teach me your times
(Corre río)
Birds, sing me your rhymes, please
And stones, teach me your times
(Fluye río)
Birds, sing me your rhymes, please
And stones, teach me your times
(Baja río)
[Verse 3]
Earth, cover my limbs now
And mould, thrive on my skin
(Corre río)
Earth, cover my limbs now
And mould, thrive on my skin
(Fluye río)
Earth, cover my limbs now
And mould, thrive on my skin
(Baja río)
Earth, cover my limbs now
And mould, thrive on my skin
[Bridge]
Thrive on my skin
Thrive on my skin
[Verse 4]
(Clouds) Clouds, deepen my sight, please
(Corre río)
(Storms) Storms, lend me your light
(Fluye río)
(Clouds) Clouds, deepen my sight, please
(Baja río)
(Storms) Storms, lend me your light
(Corre río)
[Verse 5]
(Earth) Earth, cover my limbs now
(Fluye río)
(Mould) Mould, thrive on my skin
(Baja río)
(Earth) Earth, cover my limbs now
(Corre río)
(Mould) Mould, thrive on my skin
[Outro]
(Fluye río)
(Baja río)
(Corre río)
I'll always love how unique your music sounds, keep up the awesome work, and I wish you luck in the success for the petition
I love this! both the meaning behind the forest being a co creator, and the technique in the song!
This is wonderful, thank you! Now my spirit is longing for the cloud forest.
heartwarming and mindblowing at the same time.
Special project, special music, lead by special souls.
Thank you again Cosmo & Co. for this moment of poetry and hope.
The forest wrote a song!
Blessings to all of you.
🙏
A delectable texture of noises for the ears as always.
I’m busy with college work but always got time for Cosmo
Can I just say I’m grateful to be alive at the same time Cosmo is alive
Wow! I recently heard the Robert Macfarlane x Hayden Thorpe album for Ness, loved it (I bought Robert's same-titled book afterwards and read it on the train) but was thinking during that album how well your music would work with Robert's nature imagery due to your incorporation of natural soundscapes, the way his work often presents the blending between life and landscape. Kind of blown away to see it actually happen! Beautiful song as always, best wishes for your petition.
COSMO IS BACK!!! FINALLY!
Music does take a while to make
@Bushman06 No, no, not finally because he took so long but because I can't wait from excitement! Music does take time to make and I agree with you, we should respect that!
Everytime without fail Cosmo manages to drop an unbelievable hit.
I love you, Cosmo.
You are my idol, I've listened to all your songs, really all of them, over and over again.
I love youuuu❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🐡
Man, this just brightened my day!
Beautiful! Love your music
Yet another banger from my favorite "LoFi hip-hop beats for druids to relax / study nature" artist.
Perfect timing! I was just about to listen to eye to the ear.
I really like that eye to the ear has its own link now :)))
Always a good morning when cosmo drops a song
The bass drum makes my ears happy. I love the vibe of this song!
Oh, what, i just, wow didnt expect
Ooh yes, the story continues, a legal message heck yeah
Oooh and playing in more languages
This is amazing. Watching Cosmo Sheldrake live was fantastic too ❤🏞️
I *LOVE* this song and what you're attempting to do with the petition. I sincerely hope y'all are successful!
Anyone who wants to take a deep dive into the amazing, intelligent beings that are trees, I highly recommend reading Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard.
Heartbreaking and beautiful. Thank you for calling attention to THE most important issue.
If we continue ruin the planet, how will be live?
I just wanted to say how much I absolutely love this song, and the environmental rights that it stands as activism for.
Cosmo, you've worked with many different groups in many different styles. If you have time and energy, I was wondering if you could recommend any other artists who also use nature as an instrument? It's one of my favorite parts of your style, along side the way you do improve. (In any medium, improve art has a tendency to be my favorite form of it. Your inclusion of nature makes it all the better.)
this reminds me of both the sound track for the fox and the hound animation, and the sound track for the land before time.
Absolutely brilliant, i love it when artists are so mesmerisingly creative and make these connections whitin their works 🌞🌞🌞 BRAVO 🌿
A gorgeous song with a wonderful cause.
Okay actually I had no idea the song had so much riding on it. Y'all are doing amazing work here, and best of luck with the petition!!
This is mesmerising, and so, so powerful.
Just heard Robert's interview on CBC As It Happens, a gorgeous piece of music even without the inspiring context, and love the artwork too!
SO GOOD!
This gave me goosebumps 😊. It's so moving, especially considering the context behind this song.
The forest sounds lovely as ever!
So peaceful and majestic
So beautiful!
This is all I could wish for and so nice to think of the forest as an actor :0
Such an ideal way to start the morning
❤❤❤❤❤❤
Beautiful sounds to my ears! My son is named Cosmo too ☺️
Gorgeous.
Nature can make some pretty good music 👍 :) and Cosmo too, Its like peanut butter and jelly!
Beautiful~ and yet it also has me consciously ponder advocacy concerns in regards to, 'consent to be recorded' by humans- particularly colonial activists.
✨🙏✨
thank you from everyone. the earth is smiling
That's amazing... tribal, soft, nostalgic and unique... as always!
Yippeeee, new song💜
this is incredible!!
Currently ascending to godhood with this song rn
Ein sehr schönes Stück mit ernsthaftem Hintergrund.Sehr einprägsam!😊
♥🎧♥
I really like the song again!❤ (I hate how we humans are destroying the earth)
This is so wonderful.
IM SCREAMING THIS IS SO GOOD
Today will be a good day
❤
Good stuff.
This "cover art" is fabulous. Who's the artist? I love everything Sheldrake. thanks
YAAAAAAY
on that hippie shit :D love it. but about as musical as free jazz
I hope you got permission from the cloudforest authorities (oldest tree, mycelial network, whoever represents its denizens) to publish this.
My TH-cam recap says I'm in the top 0.2% of Cosmo's listeners :)
LETS GOO
NEW COSMO SHELDRAKE SONG YIPPEEEEE
💔
The start is so crispy 🛌
initial thought when i saw the upload "what kinda spooky shit did yall make?" i was indeed spooked at hearing the groaning of the trees lmaoooo
Yes very beauteous love so much your ideas, music,…. One day I was sitting under the trees and a thought or actually I believe it was the trees impressing upon my mind that the trees need to be worshipped
Singing to the trees is worship 🙏🏼
AAAHHHH OH MY STARS ANOTHER POST?? WITHIN THE MONTH? AHHHAHAHAHA YAYY YIPPIEEE OH KMY FLIPPING STARS I LOVE THIS
why hello
þis reminds me of a mix of "Beech", "The Woods", and "The Feet are the Link"
yet anoþer (peaceful) banger from Cosmo (and Robert - hi robert)
@@theoneandonlymr.d did, did you just use a thorn in your comment
they just keep coming out of nowhere, or well i suppose, coming out of the woodworks you could say hehe
to bring peace
@@waterbound7512 oh my brain kinda just skipped over it tho i notice smth lol
Thorn user detected (I only use þ in handwriting)
@@waterbound7512maybe 👁️👁️
UNIVERSAL SPOUSE WAKE UP COSMO POSTED
GASP??
I definitely wanted to lay outside with this one i absolutely love its feeling it brings. And as always love the nature, you always treat it so well
Huhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?
If you tell me "hi" promise will buy a Pelicans We sweater of your shop
Please, tell me hi. love youuuuuuuuu ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
The beginning is making me feel the need to empty my bladder
duno about the mold part, mold is pretty itchy and painful to deal with, everything else though ;)))
I usually love Cosmo's work, and I love this song, but the idea of giving _nature_ rights as a co-creator of a song is just kinda... silly, don't you think? It would be like giving co-credits to a guitar, rather than the one who played the guitar. If you want to give credit to the One behind the noises you recorded in nature, give credit to God, who created nature and makes it sing.