November 8, 2023, was an epic day. Hot air balloons floated high in the sky over the great migration in the Serengeti while Sound Off® facilitated its first-ever live concert in the air with silent disco headphones. But more on that — and how it was pulled off — in a bit.

The trip, a unique ten-day journey through Tanzania, gathered a group of global thinkers, influencers, and tastemakers who came together to experience a deeper connection to our shared ecosystem and bring focus to women’s education and empowerment in the country’s native communities.

The Tanzania excursion was hosted by a division of the Daybreaker dance movement and wellness community called Wow It’s Now that curates meaningful and impactful experiences around the globe.

We asked our own Founder and Chief Experience Officer Castel Valere-Couturier to describe this amazing adventure:

What was it like to visit Tanzania for the first time?

CVC: It was magical! When I arrived, the plane landed on a dirt runway and as soon as I got off the plane, I saw lions hanging out in trees about 500 feet away.

Our guides were amazing and very well educated, having studied four to eight years in the Serengeti, interacting with the locals and observing every native species. They could spot animals from very far away and always knew how to keep us safe and get us as close as possible to everything from cheetahs and leopards to elephants and giraffes. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from the guides about the environment and how to respect the animals’ boundaries.

Did you have an opportunity to interact with the people of Tanzania and learn about the culture?

CVC: Yes, in addition to taking in the incredible beauty of the landscape and wildlife, we spent a night in the Maasai village and met the chief of the tribe. The Masaai are one of the oldest indigenous tribes in Tanzania, and we got to talk with some of the Maasai villagers and dance with them which was really special. The chief spoke about his focus on improving education, building schools, and sending the women of his tribe to college.

A fundraiser hosted by Wow It’s Now took place on the last night of the trip where approximately half a million dollars was donated to benefit local charities in Tanzania, including a women’s empowerment center and a facility for clean drinking water, both for the Maasai village. Funds were also donated to conservation initiatives, an education non-profit, and an organization that is striving to put an end to female genital mutilation, which according to the WHO, has been internationally recognized as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. 

So much of this trip’s intent was to serve the land and the people we were visiting, and I’m so grateful that we were able to contribute to initiative that would have a lasting impact.

While you were in Tanzania, you were able to set some amazing experiences to music. Please tell us how you pulled off the first-ever hot air balloon live concert?

CVC: The hot air balloon concert was incredible for so many reasons. Twenty hot air balloons, all at different elevations, sailed across the sky over the great migration — it’s the largest animal migration in the world where over two million animals migrate across the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara. That alone is a peak experience. Set it to live music, and it’s even more emotional.

Due to time and schedule constraints, we couldn’t visit the site ahead of time and test anything, so we had one shot, and it had to be flawless.

The morning of the concert, we drove for about two hours to arrive at the spot where we would be taking off. Due to heavy rains the night before, the vehicles carrying the hot air balloons were behind schedule, having had to make their way through deep mud. As soon as the balloons were in position, I ran back and forth through the mud for forty-five minutes getting the equipment set up, distributing our silent disco headphones, and adjusting our antenna for maximum transmission. I was doing everything I could to make sure the sound was as perfect as possible, because once we’re up, there’s nothing I could do to adjust it.

All of a sudden, I heard my name being shouted because my hot air balloon was about to take off! I sprinted to the balloon, and dove head first into the basket, adrenaline pumping! Then the next thing I know, we’re floating above the Serengeti watching herds of animals moving below, and in our basket, Murray Hidary starts to play the keyboard — his “Murray’s MindTravel” is an immersive, improvisational piano performance that takes you on a deep inner journey. It was an incredible soundscape streaming through our headphones in the midst of this profound setting as millions of animals migrated below us. 

In that moment, I reflected on how it’s been thirteen years of hard work, of building Sound Off to the point where now we’re facilitating a live concert in hot air balloons over the Serengeti! I really felt the fruits of our labor pay off as we were delivering this experience. When I started Sound Off, I never could have imagined that our technology would one day help curate these kinds of experiences.

But that wasn’t all — next the Grammy-winning South African artist Zakes Bantwini performed the world premier of his newest songs Osama and Mama Thula (a song he made as a tribute to his late mother). Zakes is known as an electrifying performer of a fusion of sound that employs music from different dance genres. We listened to his (at that time) unreleased tracks. 

As we approached our landing zone,  we also streamed music from the Lion King for a mid-air sing-along, because, how could you not?!

How exactly was Sound Off technology able to deliver high-quality sound to the 20 hot air balloons?

CVC: From a technical perspective, this experience definitely pushed the limits of everything that’s possible with our equipment. Thanks to our powerful transmitters and a high gain antenna that I mounted on the side of one of the hot air balloons, we were able to achieve a range of over 500 yards with crisp, high-fidelity sound. The hot air balloons didn’t need to be close together or on top of each other to receive the clear signal, which would have been unsafe for everyone. 

I also used our GLO 4 silent disco headphones for this experience, which hadn’t been released at the time. This model has the most advanced sound profile in our range, and I was able to road test it in the most extreme conditions. The feedback from the participants was outstanding — they gave the GLO 4 high marks on fit, feel, and fidelity. 

What other live music performances did you facilitate on this trip?

CVC: After the hot air balloons landed, we drove to another location — to the top of an enormous rock with a 360-degree view of the tundra. There we put on a silent disco where Nicholas Petricca, lead singer of Walk the Moon, performed an acoustic set, and then pan-African artist and DJ CHMBA performed a live set as well. Petricca has deep ties to South Africa where he studied music, and CHMBA is the founder of Tiwale, a community center in Malawi supporting women and gender minorities through art and educational opportunities.

Another day, we facilitated an event in the middle of the Ngorongoro Crater, where Murray Hidary performed his improvisational MindTravel experience again. To be in pristine nature, listening to him play his music through our headphones was incredible. Guests were lying on blankets, taking in the iconic scenery. Some were even moved to tears.

We also did an event with Sun-El Musician known for his unique sound and for building the Afro-house movement. Other artists who participated in the trip were Zolani, Derek Gripper, and Nkosenathi.

Were there noise ordinances that you had to adhere to in Tanzania?

CVC: Yes — you can’t blast amplified sound in the middle of a nature preserve. That would have caused great disturbances to the animals who’ve been taking these paths for centuries. 

Our silent disco headphones made something possible that wouldn’t normally be possible. The flexibility of our audio system of allowed us to deliver high-fidelity sound to guests in the middle of exquisite, cinematic settings without creating noise pollution or disturbing nature.

What did you take away from this epic trip?

CVC: In many ways we pushed the limits of our capabilities on this trip. The hot air balloon concert was very big and technically challenging ask, and we were able to successfully deliver a unique, memorable experience for the guests. I’m so grateful that the Wow It’s Now team entrusted us to do so.

I spent a lot of time with our guides and members of Maasai and Hadzabe tribes and came away with a greater understanding of and connection to Africa. The warm interactions I had with the people I encountered reminded me of our  fundamental human connection, and how powerful music can be to facilitate connection.

I also learned that while living in an urban environment, we don’t often get to see how fragile the planet is and how what we do exponentially impacts lands far away from us. Human behavior is affecting how species struggle to survive and migrate. I definitely came away more mindful of how I treat the planet, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of an experience that — in whatever small way — had a positive impact on education and improving the livelihood of indigenous communities for generations to come.

Want to create your own once-in-a-lifetime event with Sound Off silent disco headphones? Contact us now — we’ll help you make sonic history!