Game:

Civilization VI (2016)

Duration: 16:15

408 views

25

NOTE: This is a fan-made work, made out of love for Geoff Knorr, Roland Rizzo, and everyone involved with the Civilization VI soundtrack. This piece of music is not used in any mod for Civ 6. This video is not intended to offend any culture, race, or religion. Thank you.

Want to discuss future covers and other civ stuff? Join my discord server:
https://discord.gg/TZcuebtw
(Also, subscribe for more music!)

Thanks for stopping by! I've always loved Haitian musical traditions, which are unique and varied given the country's history. From the kontradans to the rara to the méringue, Haitian music is an incredibly rich and long-lasting tradition. This piece is based of Papa Loko, a rara song with origins in the vodou religion. I particularly based it off the version sung by Toto Bissainthe. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGoLiAWJGsk . I had no shortage of choices when it came to what song to use, but this one seemed common among fan-made Haiti concepts, and I really liked how it sounds. Of course, this would have been impossible without the transcription made by Amanda Larson on musescore (https://musescore.com/user/32989993/scores/11005228).

The music features many elements from Haitian music, both within vodou music and outside of it. Elements of a round are featured, and the different instruments represent the different voices form the source music. One of the hallmarks of Afro-Caribbean music is the clave rhythm, which is featured in the percussion-heavy segments of this composition. Normally the Clave is played in 4/4, but since this piece is in 6/8, I had to adapt it accordingly. I did have a bit of trouble finding a suitable beat to go along with the song, given the verses start on odd tempo markers, but I think it worked out in the end. The piece features clapping as a prominent instrument, a suggestion by one of our discord members, and traditional fluted instruments representing Haiti's origins. I wanted to play some original saxophone accompaniment for the atomic theme, in reference to Haitian compas jazz music, but I couldn't find a good opportunity to record anything, unfortunately.

I also wanted to try something new with the Industrial section of this theme, I split it into a 3-act structure! The three sections use 3 different melodies from the source material, and represent the three stages of the Haitian revolution. The piece starts out calm, yet melancholy, with an emphasis on traditional instruments. This represents before the revolution, and the harsh status quo of Haitian society. Then an explosive and chaotic section comes, representing the the war itself, and the many shifting sides of the conflict. Finally, the composition ends with a return to peace, but one with lingering troubles ahead. But at least for now, the people can celebrate. I've never tried to tell a story with a song like this before, and I hope it turns out well.

0:00 Ancient
2:03 Medieval
6:48 Industrial
11:30 Atomic

Thanks for watching!

Other Statistics