When the late Leonard Cohen wrote the song “Hallelujah,” he probably didn’t know how many times it would be covered by artists around the world. His songs are legendary and explore every part of the human condition, including love, politics, loss, death, depression, relationships, and more. As one of the most significant musical influences of his generation, he knew he was good at his craft, but the thing is, Hallelujah was a somewhat obscure song from 1984 that was late becoming popular in mainstream culture. How did it suddenly become one of the most recognizable songs in the world? Well, it has to do with a monster/ogre named Shrek.
When the movie “Shrek” was released, it had a scene with Shrek, the lovable green guy, and his love interest, Princess Fiona. They two have had an argument and parted angrily. As Fiona prepares to marry a man she doesn’t love, the song “Hallelujah” begins to play, sung by Canadian musician Rufus Wainwright. It was deeply poignant and chosen over several other songs that the directors who handled the music were choosing from. Leonard Cohen says that the meaning behind Hallelujah is about the world that’s full of different conflicts that will never be reconciled. Cohen points out that when we decide to just “reconcile and embrace the whole mess,” we have the “Hallelujah.”
Inka Gold is a duo of two brothers who fuse modern songs with their rich Native American traditions and cultures. Their unique interpretation of popular songs has delighted millions of people all around the world. Born in Ecuador’s Andes Mountains, Pablo Santiago Morales Vega and Oscar Andres now live in New Mexico. They’re part of the Ancient South American tribe known as Inca. These brothers began to play musical instruments at a young age. While Santiago learned stringed instruments, Oscar mastered the pan flute. When they were boys, they performed before large audiences and even toured Europe.
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According to the brothers’ website, they continue to perform the traditional music of their grandfathers while also using traditional instruments to create and perform contemporary pieces. Other notable covers Inka Gold have performed include “Amazing Grace,” “Oh Holy Night,” and “Unchained Melody.” In fact, their video for “Unchained Melody” has been viewed more than 15 million times on YouTube. Watch their rendition of “Hallelujah” below.
