Oceania (UK /ˌoʊʃɪˈɑːniə, ˌoʊsɪ-/ or US /ˌoʊʃiːˈæniə/), also known as Oceanica, is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Opinions of what constitutes Oceania range from its three subregions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia to, more broadly, the entire insular region between Southeast Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago.

The term is often used more specifically to denote a continent comprising Australia and proximate islands or biogeographically as a synonym for either the Australasian ecozone (Wallacea and Australasia) or the Pacific ecozone (Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia apart either from New Zealand or from mainland New Guinea).

Etymology and semantics

The term was coined as Océanie circa 1812 by geographer Conrad Malte-Brun. The word Océanie is a French language word derived from Latin word oceanus, and this from Greek word ὠκεανός (ōkeanós), ocean. Natives and inhabitants of this region are called Oceanians or Oceanicans.

"Oceania" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her sixth studio album Medúlla. It was written and produced by Björk, with additional writing by Sjón and production by Mark Bell. The song was written by the singer specially for the 2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, after a request by the International Olympic Committee. "Oceania" was released as a promotional single in 2004, by One Little Indian Records. The song was written at the ocean's point of view, from which the singer believes all life emerged, and details the human's evolution, whilst accompanied by a choir. "Oceania" was generally well received by music critics, who believed it was the best track from Medúlla, although some thought it was not the best choice for a promotional release.

The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Lynn Fox, features Björk as "Mother Oceania", whilst being jewel-encrusted in dark watery depths, with a colourful sunset and swirling floral creatures above her. A remix of the song, featuring additional lyrics and vocals by Kelis on her point of view of the continents, was featured as a B-side to the "Who Is It" single. A piano version also appeared on the DVD single, and was assisted in its creation by Nico Muhly. The song was premiered during Björk's performance on the Summer Olympics ceremony, and was later included on the setlist of the Volta Tour (2007–08). At the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005, it was nominated in the category of Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Cover versions of "Oceania" were done twice, while it was sampled once.

Oceania is the second full-length album by Australian folk-rock band Goanna. It was not a commercial success.

References

Maya may refer to:

Civilizations

Maya is a 2001 Hindi film directed by Digvijay Singh with Nitya Shetty, Mita Vashisht, Anant Nag and Nikhil Yadav in lead roles.

Plot

12-year-old Maya lives with her aunt Lakshmi, uncle Arun and cousin Sanjay, a typical middle-class family in rural India. The cousins enjoy a playful summer indulging in mischiefs and youthful pranks. But then the young girl has her first period that proves to be a turning point in her life. Maya's family begins making plans for a celebratory feast that involves a ritual rape.

Cast

Reception

The Film won international acclaim at the major film festivals it participated in. The music score by the America based duo of Manesh Judge and Noor Lodhi won Critics Mention at the Flanders Film Festival in Belgium. The music also received an award in England and came in third behind John Williams' score for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and Leonardo DiCaprio's Catch me if you Can. The movie was first runners-up in People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, one spot ahead of Mira Nair's well known hit, Monsoon Wedding.

Maya is a music album by electronic artist Toby Marks (Banco De Gaia).

Track listing

Special Edition (2011 Digital Release)

20th Anniversary Edition (2014)

3xCD, limited numbered edition of 1500. All tracks mastered/remastered by Toby Marks, November 2013.

References