Design thinking

CELLPHONES is a collection of playlists containing political and revolutionary tunes from various places in the world. Music is the most powerful cultural expression and peoples have found numerous ways to express political dissent and visions for social, political, economic and cultural alternatives through this medium. Cell phones is not only a tool used by peoples to organize themselves, it is also a medium for storing, distributing and playing music.

The playlist containing Tuareg sounds is curated by Christopher Kirkly of www.sahelsounds.com - here is an introduction to the playlist: 

The Tuareg, or Kel Tamashek, are a semi-nomadic people with a historic
homeland that encompasses much of the Saharan desert of West Africa.
Contemporary society is divided over Algeria, Mali, Niger and Libya,
where the Tuareg are ethnic minorities inhabiting the most barren and
remote regions. Tuareg popular music has spread across the diaspora
with political messages that resonate throughout the respective
countries.

Engaged in continuous civil conflict throughout the 1960s, many Tuareg
fled their homes in Northern Mali. Ensuing droughts in the 1970s
exacerbated this movement and led many young men to abandon the
pastoral life. The young Tuareg foreigners who arrived in the cities
were known as ishumar, derived from french chomêur or "unemployed", a
pejorative for the jobless Tuareg wandering about the Saharan cities.
In the late 1970's, a group of ishumar from Northern Mali formed a
guitar band called Taghreft Tinariwen, playing guitar music that
addressed the diaspora with lyrics invoking common themes of nostalgia
and exile. The emerging Tuareg folk music, called guitar, featured one
or two guitarists accompanied by the traditional rhythm of the tendé.
It was highly influenced by Western rock music, notably Jimi Hendrix
and Dire Straits, as well as the guitar creations of Malian musician
Ali Farka Touré.

In the following decade, a political force emerged for Tuareg
independence. The leaders of this movement recruited the group
Taghreft Tinariwen to compose songs and supplied them with guitars,
transforming them into the propagandist arm of the rebellion. To
facilitate the transmission of this message, performances were
recorded and duplicated, distributed to ishumar to carry with them on
their travels. As a mobile force, young ishumar were the perfect
vehicle for transmission, firmly establishing the Tuareg guitar as a
collective folk style.

The agitprop recording studio and distribution model no longer exists
today and cassettes have been replaced with mp3s, carried on memory
cards and played on cellphones. Contemporary Tuareg folk music has
moved away from political action, to more conventional songs of love
and pop, integrating new musical techniques into the folk repertoire.
But as a new rebellion has shaken the North of Mali, the music has
regained its original purpose as transmission of political messages
and calls to arms - updated for the new media age.

Check out the other CELLPHONES playlists:

https://soundcloud.com/cellphonessenegal
https://soundcloud.com/cellphones-nepal
https://soundcloud.com/cellphones-tuareg
https://soundcloud.com/cellphones-guinea-bissau
https://soundcloud.com/cellphones-mauritania
https://soundcloud.com/cellphones-middleeast

TUAREG

Composition and performance
Takeo Kanno & Hisao Kanno
May 5. 2016

Night On A Beach

Permission to be Delighted

Pattern Finding

Breaking Routine

Հող - Պարոն Բանջար | Hogh - Paron Banjar

tracks: http://soundcloud.com/motorentertainment/los-colorados-i-like-to-move VS.
http://soundcloud.com/boris-viande/tetris-remix-waiting-for-the

Move that line! (Robert Soko vs Boris Viande) Lazarus Soundsystem Mashup

Im excited to finally share with you my #edit of this amazing song by Tarwa N-Tiniri 🎵 #Taryet is now available on stores 🎧 .
It took me a long time to release it since i had to meet up with the band first, and share some good vibes and Traditional #Tea before we all share this work with you, adding an electronic touch on their magical desert blues melodies and amazigh vibes made me discover the beauty of this amazing musical journey. .
Big up to #tarwantiniri and to all of you who have been supporting the moroccan scene. .
Artcover by @sarrageist 🎈

Taryet

Taryet - Stranger Souma feat Tarwa N-Tiniri

Aujourd’hui j’accueille sur le Gratin, Vincent Montalescot, Vice PDT Marketing de la marque Montblanc.

Vincent est à l’image de la marque qui l’anime.  Élégant, posé, réfléchi.

Papa de 4 enfants, très attaché à sa vie de famille, passionné par son métier, il est aussi un homme du changement. Vous l’aurez compris, Vincent c’est une force tranquille.

Originaire de la région de Limoges, Vincent fait ensuite ses études à Dauphine avec un objectif en tête : travailler pour une marque dans le monde du sport. Pari réussi puisqu’il débute sa carrière professionnelle à l’agence Havas Sport. En l’an 2000, l’un de ses rêves se concrétise, il met le pied dans la porte de l’un des géants du monde du sport : Adidas. Vincent y restera 17 ans et en retirera tout un arsenal d’enseignements qu’il nous livre dans l’épisode.

En 2017, il arrive enfin chez Montblanc, à son poste actuel de VP Marketing avec une mission aussi intéressante qu’ambitieuse : faire évoluer cette marque centenaire pour la faire vivre avec son temps.

En parlant avec Vincent, j’ai rapidement compris que j’avais affaire à un vrai passionné. Un passionné de la marque. De sa construction. De sa mission. De ce qui fait qu’une marque est unique. Un sujet que personnellement j’adore aussi.

Nous avons donc commencé par aborder la question du sens d’une marque. Pas simplement un sens commercial. Mais plutôt sa raison d’être, sa mission. En prenant l’exemple de Montblanc Vincent m’a expliqué les étapes qu’il avait suivies pour passer d’un territoire autour de l’écriture à un univers plus large autour de l’idée de « laisser une trace ».

Si vous voulez un cours magistral de marketing messieurs dames, sachez que vous allez être servis :

- D’abord, ne pas à tout prix vouloir réinventer la roue. Faire un travail sur la marque nécessite avant tout de l’humilité. Celle de puiser dans les racines historiques de son produit.
- Ensuite, formuler une mission simple, claire, limpide. En matière de marque, la complexité est un aveu d’échec.
- Enfin, porter ce renouveau en interne et faire adhérer les équipes, via un travail de pédagogie et de répétitions.

In fine, 2 ans de travail qui se matérialisent par une nouvelle campagne publicitaire que Vincent m’a fait découvrir juste avant qu’on enregistre et que j’ai franchement trouvé top. Comme on en parle indirectement dans le podcast, je vous la mets en lien dans les notes de l’épisode.

Sur la fin du podcast nous avons aussi évoqué des sujets plus personnels : la difficulté d’allier une carrière ambitieuse et une vie personnelle épanouie, l’importance d’un temps de silence dans une vie bien chargée, ou encore d’avoir des engagements porteur de sens au-delà du professionnel. Une jolie leçon de vie.

Notes et références
Les livres cités par Vincent : Open d’André Agassi et Qu’est-ce qu’un chef du Général d’armée Pierre De Villiers
La campagne Montblanc : What Moves you, Makes You


1. La News du Gratin
La News du Gratin est une mini newsletter pour vous nourrir en plus du podcast. C’est une newsletter très courte, à lire en 5mn top chrono de ce qui m’a marqué dans les dernières semaines : livres à lire, réflexions, applis à télécharger, citations, films ou documentaires à voir etc. Pour la recevoir, il n’y a qu’à s’abonner à la newsletter sur le blog du Gratin !

2. Des conseils concrets sur ma chaîne YouTube
Envie de lancer votre propre podcast ? De bénéficier de conseils sur quel matériel utiliser ? Ma nouvelle chaîne YouTube est faite pour vous !

3. Contactez-moi ! 
Si le podcast vous plaît, le meilleur moyen de me le dire, ou de me faire vos feed-backs (et ce qui m’aide le plus à le faire connaître) c’est simplement de laisser un avis 5 étoiles ou un commentaire sur l’application iTunes. Ca m’aide vraiment, alors n’hésitez pas 🙂

Pour me poser des questions ou suivre mes tribulations c’est par ici :

Sur Instagram @paulinelaigneau
Sur LinkedIn @pauline laigneau
Sur Facebook
Sur Twitter @plaigneau

#111 – Vincent Montalescot, VP Marketing Monde de Montblanc

Anemoia 22 is the second single from upcoming album Scavenger Royale (Nov. 26th), which deals with an overall theme of re-growing a world anew, from the scattered ruins of an apocalypse. 

The single is released simultaneously with the regular monthly livestreams where Ugress creates and performs highly intricate live music videos.

http://www.ugress.com/live

Ugress - Anemoia 22 (Part I)

The title track of the new Ben Hoo album, 'Collected'
Out Now! http://www.beatport.com/release/collected/1091808

If there has been a theme running throughout London producer Ben Hoo's career to date, it's that he's never wedded himself to a single style. Techno and house inform his recorded music as much as down-tempo and contemporary classical. From a production perspective, Ben is drawn towards sound manipulation and design. His approach is steeped in audio reconfiguration, which he offsets by creating his own rich synthetic tones.

The most substantial example of Ben Hoo's sonic explorations to date has arrived with 'Collected', a 12-track compilation that will see release through Get Physical sub-label, Kindisch. The collection, which is also Kindisch's first artist album, brings together original Ben Hoo material from previous EPs 'Marea' and 'Modal', alongside new and exclusive tracks. 

Binding the compilation is the title track, a contemporary classical piece composed entirely of sounds, themes and melodies from each of the other tracks on the album. "I wanted the elements presented in a contrasting style to take them away from their original intentions," says Ben, encapsulating his rich musical range. "This idea is like that of a remix, though it sounds like the opposite… the other tracks sound more like remixes of the composition. I created the piece very much with film in mind."  The track is a cinematic masterpiece and, highlighting this quality further, is accompanied by a beautiful short film by french filmmaker Pierre Radua.

The body of work is a true testament to Hoo's extensive musical ability and diversity, exploring techno, deep and tech house, sophisticated electronica and contemporary classical. "'Collected' was not intended as a traditional album," says Ben. "I wanted each track to stand alone with its own sounds and own story. They were made from vastly different inspirations and a lot of experimentations in modifying audio."    

Opening with ‘Marea’ ('tide' in Spanish), a deep track, relaxed and full of rhythm, the album continues on a journey through Hoo's rich sonic landscape, moving into 'Run Of Sevens' where a laid-back groove is enforced by a cyclic bassline drone. 'Night Light' combines tribal and minimal textures, whilst 'Modal', a deep, hypnotic piece built around a literal playing of a modal scale and made up of sound designed elements is all about indulging in a mood.  Jasmine has a feeling of warmth and optimism, combining tech house beats with sun-drenched jazz chords, and 'Cetacea' uses sounds evocative of whale song to create an enchanting soundscape set over complex rhythms.  'Duplex' is named as such due to the two very definite energy levels, and moves us into more rugged terrain, combining techno beats with driving, organic chimes. 'Maledictum's textures weave and manipulate slowly over time, with a raw pattern and rolling unbroken flow. The piece features a distorted, haunting vocal chant, infectious bassline and epic snare roll.  'Nightscape' is rhythm-centric with its deep contemplative chords conjuring images of night time city scenes, whilst 'Right Kind Of Rain' is an experimental slice of electronica, encompassing glitch palates, and is almost entirely focused on sound design.  The album's penultimate track 'Paper Juliet' is a downtempo jazz infused electric piano lead track which leads us into the sunset, whilst serenaded by tribal beats, before we embark on the final phase of the journey, the stunning, cinematic beauty that is 'Collected'.

'Collected' is not a typical artist album, and it's fair to say that Ben Hoo's rise to prominence has been far from typical. How many young producers could say they'd remixed Fever Ray, Moby, M.A.N.D.Y & Booka Shade and Tiga before even releasing a solo single? It takes true creative flair to carve out a career solely by interpreting the work of others—and London's Ben Hoo has done just that. His subsequent EPs for Kindisch showed his enormous potential as a solo artist, and 'Collected' will establish Hoo's place among electronic music's most promising new talents. 

Ben Hoo - Collected

IDEO’s Creative Confidence Podcast shares candid conversations with creative leaders, changemakers, and innovators navigating today’s most pressing challenges. Through real-world stories and insights, we explore how to lead with creativity, build resilient teams, and drive innovation. Grounded in IDEO’s 40 years of expertise in design thinking and innovation, each episode offers inspiration and practical tools for audacious leaders at every stage of their careers. Hosted by Mina Seetharaman, Head of New Ventures at IDEO, the podcast brings a human-centered lens to the complexities of making more courageous futures.

Discover more at IDEOU.com.

Breaking Routine

IDEO U

Related tracks