The Civilization IV theme song, Baba Yetu, was composed by Christopher Tin. The track is the first song composed for a video game to ever be nominated for a Grammy. The 53rd annual Grammy music awards nominated the track for “Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists” and it won. Tin’s song was nominated years ago as his opening track on his debut album, Calling All Dawns. It won a Grammy for “Best Classical Crossover Album.” You can get the award winning song and the album, Calling All Dawns, on iTunes.
The song is a mainstay of Video Games Live for the past several years. The CEO of Video Games Live, Tommy Tallarico, is very pleased with Tin’s song’s success. It is the beginning of bridging the gap between mainstream music and the video game world. The song’s success is a big moment for video games and a step toward further recognizing the musical talent and work that goes into them.