Local artist's song about 'vanishing bees' inspires global listeners to dance

ESQUIMALT, B.C. -

Kele Fleming has taken an unexpected turn on a musical journey that began when she formed her first band at age 12.

“We did these silly little songs,” Kele smiles. “Based on Tiger Beat magazine and stuff like that.”

While Kele was a big fan of the Bay City Rollers back then, she pursued classical music in college, before launching a professional career performing folk rock.

“I wanted songs that carried some kind of punch and meaning,” Kele says.

Like during that summer when wildfire smoke was turning blue skies red, Kele was compelled to write a song about her feelings surrounding the state of the environment and the crucial roles bees play in the world.

“[The song] juxtaposed an adult’s grief about what has been lost with a child’s sense of wonder,” Kele says. “And discovering joy in the beautiful place we live.”

Kele titled it ‘The Vanishing of the Bees’, recorded it for her latest album and prepared to play it live on tour.

But then the pandemic changed everything.

“What am I going to do with this?” she recalls wondering.

Kele started connecting with fellow musicians online, and happened upon the work of film and video game composer Atlas to Earth, who remixed her Bees song.

“When I first heard it, I was like, ‘That’s really different,’” Kele says, and makes a face. “This isn’t my song anymore.”

But by the end of that first listen, and by the time she had hiked to a forest meadow to capture footage of bees for the remix video, Kele was a fan.

“I was blown away!” Kele says. “It was like, ‘Wow! This is a whole different song!’”

Since then, ‘The Vanishing of the Bees’ has since been remixed multiple times.

Kele says it’s also been played by DJs around the world, in clubs from New York to Amsterdam to Berlin.

“[Atlas to Earth] turned it from grief-focused to joy-focused to get the dance in there,” Kele smiles.

While Kele is pleased to recall fond memories of when she would frequent dance clubs in the 80s, she’s grateful a whole new audience is discovering her music and hopeful message.

“I guess the metaphor of the bees is there’s lots of work to be done,” Kele says. “But we still have time to do it.”