Bella Gaia - Bella Gaia - Beautiful Earth (2016)

Picture our beautiful blue Earth as it appears from outer space, and you’ve entered the world of Kenji Williams’ Bella Gaia, or “beautiful earth.” Williams’ celestially lush tracks were inspired by the life-changing experiences astronauts had when observing Earth from space. NASA’s photographs motivated the award-winning director and composer to musically explore how humans and nature, art and science are all connected. In his exquisite, ethereal arrangements, Williams blends classical, electronic and world music with stirring violin and soaring vocal lines, expressing our heaven on earth. And yet, we are also grounded with the jazz-influenced track “New York City” and in the Middle Eastern, reed-dominated “Egypt—Nile Crossing” and “Dance To The Evolution.” Bella Gaia, the Live Performance, is an audiovisual experience that combines NASA satellite imagery, timelapse nature photography, and cultural heritage footage with live performances of music and dance from around the world. He invites us to be aware of the ground we walk on while simultaneously taking us high above it into the atmosphere and beyond. This album is a beautiful and powerful reminder to understand earth’s fragility and the importance of taking care of this wonderful place we call Bella Gaia. (Remedy Arts)