Music Voyager: Tennessee - The Round

Music Voyager: Tennessee - The Round is an insightful documentary that deeply immerses the audience in the rich music history of Tennessee while exploring various cultural nuances of the region. The film, hosted by world-renowned ethnomusicologist Jacob Edgar, combines travel, culture, history, and fascinating conversations with local musicians, offering an intriguing snapshot of Tennessee's music landscape.

The film travels through the length and breadth of Tennessee, starting from Nashville, the capital city known as the "Country Music Capital of the World", to the tucked-away, rural areas in the outskirts. The journey is beautifully narrated and hosted by Jacob Edgar, renowned worldwide for his knack for identifying and explaining the undercurrents of human culture relayed through music.

Coming from a background in the world music label Cumbancha, Edgar leads us confidently through the beats, rhythms, and melodies that are the heart and soul of Tennessee. He is a charismatic and knowledgeable host, whose passion for music and understanding of its various genres provides a credible voice to guide us through the culture-intertwined world of music in the Southern United States.

The film begins in Nashville, exploring the well-known and world-renowned institutions of country music such as the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. This is not just a superficial glance at what tourists would see; instead, it peels back the layers to reveal the soul beneath the surface. Dedicated not just to the stars of country music, it also pays homage to local musicians who create and nurture the community's musical rhythms.

From Nashville, the film moves on to Memphis, another culturally rich city with its unique blend of blues, jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll. Edgar dives deep into the history of Memphis music and its profound influence on famous musicians like Elvis Presley and W.C. Handy. It also touches upon the struggles and revolutions born in Memphis which found their voices raised in protests and sung through stirring music.

No musical pilgrimage to Tennessee would be complete without a visit to east Tennessee, where the Great Smoky Mountains have incubated Appalachian melodies for centuries. A walk along the wilderness becomes an enchanting journey when combined with Edgar's narrative, which weaves a magical blend of music and nature.

Throughout the film, we meet a number of local artists representing various genres, including blues, bluegrass, soul, country, and rock ‘n’ roll. They offer unique insights into their inspiration, the local music scene, and how their roots in Tennessee have influenced their creative process. Some well-known artists, as well as relatively anonymous local musicians, constitute this eclectic mix, adding depth and authenticity to the film's narrative.

Visually, Music Voyager: Tennessee - The Round is captivating, with exquisite cinematography capturing the picturesque landscapes of Tennessee — from country farmlands to bustling cities and serene mountains. This visual journey is coupled with a melodious adventure, as the film uses music as a tool to connect viewers with the emotions, culture, and history of the Tennessee people.

As a documentary, Music Voyager: Tennessee - The Round achieves an exceptional balance between an informative ethnomusicological study and a heartwarming exploration of a deeply musical region's cultural fabric. Its magic, in large part, comes from the effortless blend of travel, history, culture, and conversations that it offers — all bound together by the beautiful thread of music. Music, for Tennesseans, is not just a form of entertainment; it is a way of life, a reflection of their history, and a means of expressing themselves.

The documentary effectively serves to deliver this message, proving to be a must-watch film for music lovers, people interested in cultural studies, and those who appreciate well-crafted documentaries, or indeed anyone with a natural curiosity about the world. Therein lies the success of Music Voyager: Tennessee - The Round. It is more than just a music documentary; it's an exploration into the heart of a place and its people, and a nod to the universal language that is music.