Remembering Voices of the Rainforest: Earth Day 1991

"Voices of the Rainforest," now part of the Mickey Hart Collection at Smithsonian Folkways, was originally released on Earth Day 1991. Produced by Mickey and recorded by Steven Feld in Bosavi, Papua New Guinea, it was the first commercial CD recording ever to consist equally of ambient environmental sounds and indigenous songs. This was no sound effects gimmick. The Bosavi people sing with, to, and about their rainforest home. Their songs are literally paths through the creeks of their forest home, paths sung to the surround of insects and birds. The song paths join people to place, and celebrate their identity as one. An audio day in the life, Voices of the Rainforest is a sonic immersion into what the Bosavi people call their "lift-up-over sounding" relationship to the rainforest. – Steven Feld

"Voices of the Rainforest" is available On Demand or Download at Smithsonian Folkways.

Watch Tom Flye discuss the making of "Voices."

There are more images from "Voices" on the FLICKR Gallery.

Find more titles from the Mickey Hart Collection at Smithsonian Folkways that celebrate the spirit of Earth Day:

• Honor the Earth Powwow: Songs of the Great Lakes Indians
• Utom: Summoning the Spirit
• The Spirit Cries: Music from the Rainforests of South America & the Caribbean

Find more of Steven Feld's work at VoxLox