Enya, Orinoco Flow | Bangerz N Bopz 🔥

In the 1^st edition of Bangerz N Bopz 🔥, we highlight “Orinoco Flow” performed by Irish New Age musician, Enya. 

Bring on the bold, fierce songs! Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 serves up background info and insight into songs of various styles, especially songs that raise eyebrows and/or stir the pot.  Featured records can be classic or brand new. In the 1^st edition of Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 (2023), we break down 🎵 “Orinoco Flow” performed by 🎙 Enya.

“Let me sail, let me sail / Let the Orinoco flow…” So, what was your first memory of Irish New Age artist, 🎙 Enya? Mine dates back to the fourth grade, in the 1990s, when my teacher played one of her most ambient, soothing songs, 🎵 “Orinoco Flow”.  The 🏆 Grammy-nominated record had already been out by the time I’d become an intermediate student, but most of my soundtracking at that age was Disney 😉 – it was the Disney Renaissance era, after all! The Irish New Age musician penned this soothing, 1988 classic alongside 🎼 ✍ Roma Ryan.  It was produced by 🎛 Nicky Ryan. A top-40 hit, it peaked at no. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989. Parent album, 💿 Watermark, peaked at no. 25 on the Billboard 200, eventually reaching multiplatinum status.

“Sail away, sail away, sail away…” Those are the lyrics that stand out from “Orinoco Flow.” As a fourth grader, hearing Enya for the first time, I had no clue what she was singing about.  Of course, now, revisiting the songs of my youth, I’m able to attain proper context.  Obviously, Enya was referring to the  📍Orinoco River in 🗺️ South America. It’s not all about the Orinoco River, however.  In the first verse, Enya also has us navigating additional geography: beaching “On the shores of 📍Tripoli [Libya],” and beaching “Far beyond the 📍 Yellow Sea [Western Pacific Ocean].” Additional verses offers an assortment of locations.  Clearly, 🎵 “Orinoco Flow” is all about location, location, location, and, of course, sailing away! The best way to describe this picturesque, New Age, Celtic folk song – a vibe.  Even approaching 40 years later, what sounds like this song, or Enya these days? Perhaps banger isn’t an appropriate characterization of an Enya song, but, it certainly exemplifies a classic, fierce bop 💯!

🎙 Enya, Orinoco • 💿 Watermark • 🏷 Warner Strategic Marketing • 🗓 1988

Enya, Orinoco Flow: Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 No. 1 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Warner Strategic Marketing; cottonbro studio, Harry Shelton, Kool Shooters, Lucas Pazeta, Mavluda Tashbaeva, Teddy Yang, Wesley Souza from Pexels]