Acclaimed musician and artist Maïa Barouh just released her new music video 'La Forêt', which honours Indigenous knowledge and culture, and reminds people of the importance of forests and our deep connection to them.

Produced in partnership with forest conservation specialists Everland, 'La Forêt' is the culmination of Barouh's artistic exploration of forests as central to human survival. It features collaborations with artists from the Ainu community - the First Nation Peoples of Japan – and traditional Japanese folkloric rituals that celebrate the forest and its wildlife.

"I set out to show how deeply intertwined we as people are with the forests. Nature can survive without us but when the trees feel thirst, so do we. When the trees burn, so do we. And if forests fall, so will we," says Maïa Barouh. "Through this truth, I hope 'La Forêt' inspires a moment of reflection on our relationship with nature, our choices and our responsibilities as consumers and voters. Perhaps it can even help us reconnect with a part of ourselves we often lose in the rush of life."

 

 

 

 

 

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By blending modern pop and traditional Japanese folk music recorded with only wooden instruments, Barouh creates a rhythmic and natural soundscape to accompany her original poetry performed in French and Japanese. With lyrics that range from the lightness inspired by Barouh's childhood experiences in the forests of rural France, to the urgent and fatal consequences of deforestation, 'La Forêt' charts the story of humanity's complex and often destructive relationship with the natural world.

Throughout 'La Forêt', Barouh pays tribute to Indigenous and traditional communities and their land management practices that have preserved forests for generations. The music features musicians and influences from the Ainu community - an Indigenous community who primarily inhabit the island of Hokkaido - and have suffered colonialism, oppression and displacement, like many Indigenous communities around the world.

The video was filmed in Tono, Iwate Prefecture in collaboration with traditional performers from the region, and includes a performance of shishi odori or "deer dance". This ancient performance art, which originated 4 centuries ago, evolved from a hunters' ritual honoring the spirits of animals into an expression of respect for all living beings. The dancers wear intricate masks depicting creatures like deer, lions and dragons. These sacred creatures often overpower the human dancers to symbolize nature's power.

Everland, which represents community-led forest conservation projects in the Global South, was keen to join forces with Maïa and her community partners to amplify their message in the belief that art can drive meaningful environmental and social change.

"I'm so proud to share 'La Forêt' with the world. Maïa's work is beautiful and it carries a serious message," says Everland's Gerald Prolman, Executive Producer of 'La Forêt'. "Every year about 10 million hectares of forest, an area the size of Portugal, are destroyed. This destruction not only fuels climate change but also threatens the livelihoods of Indigenous and forest-dependent communities. We must stop ruining our world and instead come together to protect these irreplaceable ecosystems before it's too late. The good news is that conservation works, and with global support for community-led projects, we can stop deforestation and provide a pathway for some of the world's most disenfranchised people to meet their needs and build a better life."