In a world increasingly divided by borders, languages, and ideologies, there comes a powerful musical statement that seeks to remind us of our shared origins and intertwined destinies. 

Steven Chesne, the visionary composer behind the genre-defying album “Descendants (in 79 Languages)“, has released a music video that’s as innovative and thought-provoking as the album itself. 

This project brings together voices from around the globe, bringing them together into a landscape of sound and imagery that speaks to our shared humanity and interconnected fate. Unfolding over a period of four years, Chesne led the meticulous translation efforts with native speakers brought on board to ensure both accuracy and cultural authenticity in the final work.

In this interview, Steven Chesne takes us behind the scenes of this extraordinary new music video that has been making waves in the world music scene, sharing the inspiration and challenges that came with visualizing a song as unique as “We Are the Descendants.” 

From the futuristic setting to the profound messages embedded within, he explores the artistry and vision that make this video a compelling extension of the album’s themes of unity and cultural fusion.

The accompanying music video takes this message to new heights, blending futuristic visuals with a global chorus of voices to create an immersive experience that resonates on a deep, emotional level:

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?

The whole time I was working on this song, “We are the Descendants”, I knew it had to be listened to in conjunction with a video.

With all of these languages weaving in and out, you really get a whole different dimension if there’s some visual cues about what language you’re hearing. 

This is really how that song is meant to be heard!

2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

I had been thinking about the fragmenting of civilization. And yet, we are all made of the same material. We have a shared origin, and whether we like it or not, our fate is intertwined.  

It led me to find a commonality that spans humanity. What can everybody yell out?  “We are the descendants.”

We don’t think of this idea too much, but when we hear it, it sounds familiar. And it lifts us up just a tiny bit. It moves the waves just slightly in that direction.

3. Can you describe the video and the concept behind it?

Most of the action in part one takes place on Earth in the future, after the Earth becomes trashed and uninhabitable. So Fredo Bang is walking inside a very large “earth station” that is very clean and antiseptic, and separate from the barren desert outside.

On the walls of this structure are video monitors with faces of all of the vocalist from all over the world. Each one of them sings their phrase as they weave together, between Fredo Bang’s rapping. 

There’s a young boy on the Earth station, who is experimenting with a giant laser that eventually pierces the wall of the structure. This takes us to part two of the video which uses music from the big Finale at the end of the album. There is also some new music scored for the video, to connect the two songs.

The key concept behind the dramatic ending is that all of us are going to have to struggle together if we’re to survive together. Our fate is intertwined.

The music that accompanies the big ending dramatic part, the Finale of the album, involves all of the languages singing simultaneously. This sounds a bit like a gigantic nebula sort of choir. This sound is eventually overtaken by a symphony orchestra. The choir and the orchestra struggle together, and it’s a really unique, fascinating sound.  It’s an extremely full, very complex texture.

Keep up to date with Steven Chesne at www.chezworks.com