Out of Africa (Original Soundtrack) - MCA

On days when I am feeling a bit introspective the Out of Africa soundtrack is the music I want to hear. While the book that inspired the movie (and thus the soundtrack) was good, the film polishes the rough edges of Isak Dinesen’s (AKA: Karen Blixen’s) surprisingly short book and lead to the development of this beautiful music collection. Although I’ve never had the opportunity to fly across the plains of Kenya in an open-air plane, some of the music inspires what I imagine one might feel while doing so—a kind of peace, freedom and joy of discovery that often accompanies unique experiences. Most of the songs are new compositions that set the movie’s tone—this is not a collection of African music though there is one “traditional” African song. The Out of Africa soundtrack facilitates the viewer’s understanding of Dinesen’s reflections by musically capturing the ambiance of one women’s experience in colonial East Africa. I highly recommend listening to the CD while sitting outside on the porch watching the rain and sipping hot tea (Yes—I am a romantic).