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EXCLUSIVE: The stirring soundtrack to Oscar-shortlisted documentary Yanuni, recorded on three continents, will be released on major music streaming platforms on Wednesday, including Spotify and Apple Music.
The soundtrack is composed by H. Scott Salinas with the support of Argentinian composer Tomás Videla, in collaboration with Indigenous leader and musician Eric Terena, an executive producer of the documentary. We have your first look (and listen) to the music in the “Yanuni Suite” video above, which features Indigenous vocalist Djuena Tikuna as well as Terena and the Vienna Synchronstage Orchestra. The soundtrack also includes “No Front” (“on the frontline”), a song written and performed by Indigenous rapper Katú Mirim about the illegal extraction of oil and gold from Indigenous territories in the Amazon.
Richard Ladkani directed the documentary, which centers on Juma Xipaia, the first woman chief of the Middle Xingu region of Brazil’s Indigenous Xipaya people and the work of her husband, Hugo Loss, who dismantles illegal mining operations as part of his work for IBAMA, Brazil’s primary environmental agency (one of the tactics employed by Hugo and his team – blowing up ships used to extract gold from Indigenous land).
The film is produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson, Richard Ladkani, Philip Watson, Anita Ladkani, and by Juma Xipaia (Richard Ladkani asked her to co-direct, but her role as Secretary for Articulation and Promotion of Indigenous Rights at the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Rights in the government of Brazilian President Lula da Silva prevented her from taking on that full-time directing assignment).
“We worked to assemble a truly global team to compose the music for the film, and the result is something that not only reflects Juma and her lived experience, but is also a beautiful tribute to her culture and mission,” noted Richard Ladkani. “Turning my lens to the Amazon was a continuation of my commitment to telling urgent, high-stakes stories about our planet’s survival, and I wanted the music to truly capture the urgency of what is happening. The Amazon is not only one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth—it is also one of the most threatened. We hope audiences feel inspired by the music to learn more about Juma’s work and her tireless dedication to serving her community.”
Composer H. Scott Salinas spoke to the breadth of the project. “We recorded the music for Yanuni across continents, from Santa Monica, to Vienna, São Paulo and Manaus,” he commented. “This soundtrack is rooted in Indigenous perspectives and lived experience and is a true reflection of the themes of the film.”
Juma has survived six assassination attempts, evidence of a violent campaign against Indigenous land defenders that has claimed the lives of many activists in recent years including Indigenous leaders Sarapo Kaapor and Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau.
“The forest is being destroyed at an alarming rate, silencing thousands of voices, erasing irreplaceable bodies of knowledge, and threatening our future,” Juma said in a statement. “Yanuni amplifies Indigenous voices to the world— from the territory to the screen – through its storytelling, characters, music, and visual language. This soundtrack and film bring together the ancestral knowledge of people from across the Amazon, as we share our love, dreams, and hope through its spirit of resistance.”
The film premiered at Tribeca Festival last year and has gone on to earn awards at film festivals around the world, including the SCAD Savannah Film Festival in Georgia. Richard Ladkani served as director of photography; the film was edited by Georg M. Fischer. Executive producers include Oscar nominees Joanna Natasegara and Laura Nix, along with Dax Dasilva, Martin Choroba, Philipp Schall, and Eric Terena.
Watch the video for “Yanuni Suite” above.
English (US) ·