Patrick Ong
Patrick Ong
Award-winning film composer and music producer Ludwig Göransson returns to the fictional country of Wakanda for Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Göransson, who won Best Original Score at the 2019 Academy Awards for Black Panther, returned to score the highly-anticipated sequel to the 2018 Marvel Studios film.
Göransson took the challenge of not only outdoing his original Black Panther score–touted as one of the most notable musical compositions in all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)–but reworking the original score after the passing of leading actor Chadwick Boseman. This score had to introduce new elements to revolve around the sequel’s new characters and settings and adapt to the shifting themes and plot of the story while embodying the original essence of its predecessor.
In our recent viewing experience, Göransson rose and conquered this impossible task. Not only can the audience feel the genuine work and creativity put into this film’s music, but we wouldn’t be surprised if he made another podium appearance at the next Oscars.
Lucid Monday readers might think this information is cool, but why are we covering a movie composer? What’s the musical significance of this CGI-laced superhero blockbuster?
Savvy music fans may know Göransson from his stellar and expansive work with Donald Glover. The two worked together while filming the comedy sitcom Community when Glover reached out to Göransson for his side project: Childish Gambino. It was the start of a partnership that’s lasted more than a decade–and could possibly still be alive. From Culdesac to 3.15.20, the two have worked together on every Childish Gambino project, which musical direction ranged from gritty and pompous (mixtape Bino) to melodramatic and ominous (Camp, Because The Internet) to soulful and liberated (“Awaken! My Love”, 3.15.20).
Apart from his work with Glover, Göransson has produced music for Travis Scott, Haim, Adele, and Vampire Weekend. As a composer, he has an IMDB page flooded with credentials: music for every Ryan Coogler movie–including the Creed franchise and Fruitvale Station, Disney Pixar’s Turning Red, and an Emmy-winning score for The Mandalorian, just to name a few. In short, Göransson has had his time split between two dominating music media forms.
Göransson’s experience is heavily documented, but his ability to reinvent his sound is his main highlight. Though Göransson and director Ryan Coogler have been a creative duo for roughly 15 years, Göransson–a Swedish composer–didn’t have enough African music knowledge to compose the first Black Panther score. He reached out to Grammy-nominated Senegalese singer Baaba Maal, who invited Göransson to tour with him. Maal’s influence and instrumentation–mainly the talking drum used in “T’Challa’s Theme” and echoes throughout the score–laid the foundation for Boseman’s major solo introduction to the world.
Göransson’s second stint as the franchise’s composer came with its fair share of complications. Wakanda Forever introduced Namor, played by Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta, and the Talokan people as antagonists. This version of Namor’s backstory differs from Marvel comics canon–mainly to differentiate the character from DC’s Aquaman. He is the ruler of Talokan, an ancient underwater civilization based on Aztec mythology’s Tlālōcān. Coogler, Göransson, and the Marvel Studios team constructed his (and his people’s) design, concepts, and themes around Aztec and Mayan culture.
The challenge with adapting Mayan history and musical elements for this film is that Mayan culture has been displaced or erased. Göransson bypassed this obstacle by traveling directly to Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula, seeking help from music archaeologists and historians.
These Mayan experts informed Göransson how traditional Mayan music could sound like by studying the grooves embedded in flutes–deeper holes signified which intervals were most common. They also studied the instruments unearthed from Mayan graves like the ayotl, a drum made from a hollowed-out turtle shell (usually played with antler “drumsticks”), and the conch, a modified seashell to play like a trumpet horn. The composer used this newfound knowledge to record with vocalists who could rap or sing in Maya.
The critically acclaimed soundtrack to the first film, Black Panther: The Album, was executive-produced by Compton rap legend Kendrick Lamar. Lamar didn’t return for Wakanda Forever, thus relaying that responsibility to Göransson. Losing Lamar seemed like a substantial loss, but it allowed Göransson to produce both the score and soundtrack.
By combining the best of both his talents–composer and producer–Göransson was free to exercise his creative muscle without any stipulations. In an interview with Next Best Picture Podcast, he humbly detailed how both roles intertwine into something special.
"I am fortunate to work in two different worlds. I produce a lot of artists, and I also write a lot of film scores. This is the first movie where I was able to really encapsulate both of those experiences and turn [them] into one man's job, " said Göransson.
The film blended elements from the score and soundtrack interchangeably and seamlessly. Subtle guitar chords echoed throughout the film, building up to the penultimate track, “Lift Me Up,” by Rihanna. When the emotional tribute guided the final scene into the credits, the somber yet hopeful tones fully realize. Other instances, like the sonar sound effects of the Talokan people, are also used in the soundtrack.
"It's a complete, immersive experience with the score and the songs flowing into each other," said Göransson.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a fine sequel that does justice to the first film, Boseman, and the Mayan musical culture. From a musical standpoint, it pushed the boundaries by recreating, involving, and representing Mayan musicians and artists. Göransson recorded the soundtrack and score with over 200 musicians on four continents and required 2,500 recording hours. Göransson’s dedication to cultural authenticity and storied career as a composer and producer is a true testament to a musical icon.