July, 2004
 
Earth
Blue
Deuter
New Earth Records
At Volkswagen headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, is a visitors’ center
with a Zen garden and a large hall that seeks to combine modern architecture
with Feng Shui. You would hardly think of an office building as a place
to meditate, but the idea of the center is to explore the relationship
between movement and stillness, and as part of that project Volkswagen
has collaborated with Deuter to produce this CD. The music, played
on flute, synthesizer and violin, is all about space and how it can
be filled or compressed. Deuter’s wooden flute threads gentle
rhythms through a repetitive, meditative soundscape. The occasional
sounds of an ocean lapping at the shore sound like the breath of the
planet. This is gentle music in the traditional New Age style, perfect
for meditation and introspection. The music is centering and quieting.
Buddha Garden
Parijat
New Earth Records
The light jazz rhythms of guitar, accompanied by percussion
and electronic keyboards, carve a gentle groove in this CD. There is
nothing particularly Buddhist about this music, although some tunes
are clearly influenced by Indian music, driven along by intricate patterns
of percussion. It is meant to create an uplifting, affirming atmosphere.
Fans of the guitar will particularly enjoy this CD, which has many
tunes that are pure guitar melody—introspective and flowing.
The music has too much movement for traditional meditation purposes,
but it can be an excellent tool to help focus your mind as you go about
everyday activities.
 
Voice
From Tara
Kelsang Chukie Tethong
Narada Productions
Kelsang Chukie Tethong sings traditional Tibetan folk songs in a lovely,
light soprano, accompanied by woodwinds, violin, gentle percussion,
and keyboards. The songs are a mixture of religious chants and entreaties,
meditations, love songs, and folk tunes. They come from a culture where
religion, philosophy, and life are inseparable, and the spiritual nature
of even the song about the color and taste of a popular beverage is
unmistakable.
“Tara” refers to the 21 female deities used as supports
in Tibetan Buddhist meditation. Kelsang Chukie Tethong is a Tibetan
singer living in exile (she’s the wife of the Secretary to the
Dalai Lama), a graduate of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
in Dharamsala, India, and has performed worldwide, including at the
sixtieth anniversary celebration of the Dalai Lama’s enthronement.
She also collaborated with her sister and other musicians to record
the music in the movie Seven Years in Tibet.
Because of the difficult political situation in Tibet, it is easy
to think of these slow, haunting melodies as sad. But as the notes
inside the CD explain, they are not. Still, Chukie sings with great
feeling, and it’s hard to ignore the longing in a song like Rang Yul Sampa,
in which the lyrics translate, “Although I long for my ancestral
home, my karma has driven me into exile. But there will be a time when
the sun will shine from behind the eastern clouds, which are not permanently
fixed.” This is a fascinating glimpse into the folk music of
a culture that is largely unknown in the West.
Spirit
on the Road
Soaring in Spirit
Life Currents
$14.99 each
AWANT
Each of these three discs is a compilation—thirteen or fourteen
songs each, all by different artists, with the common themes of the
need for God and grace in our lives, affirmations of the goodness around
us, and advice to trust in a higher power. They differ a bit musically,
but all feature really fine singing, well-played (mostly acoustic)
instruments and heartfelt emotion.
Spirit on the Road really does sound like road music—the kind
you put on your car stereo because the rhythms seem to work perfectly
with the sense of motion you have when you drive. The music is a mixture
of country, folk, and even some gospel tunes. The common thread that
runs through all of them is trust: trust in your faith, in a spiritual
power, in the connections forged by love and the nourishment of the
spirit.
Soaring in Spirit slows the pace down, and many of the songs have
an R&B flavor. These are songs about holding on to hope, finding
your true path, and moments of enlightenment that pierce the darkness.
Life Currents has more of a folk/rock sound. The songs on this CD
emphasize the positive aspects of life, letting go of the negative
and doing what you were meant to do with your life. Karen Drucker’s funny, sassy
song “I Lost the Right to Sing the Blues” deserves special
mention. It’s about a woman who lives a happy, fulfilled life,
and realizes she has no reason to complain about anything.
How to order:
Roger Hawkes at:
rogerhawkes@qwest.net or lisahawkes@qwest.net.
(Home) 206 367 6007; (home
fax) 206 367 6009
(work) 206 367 5000; (work
fax) 206 367 4005
The Virtues Songs
Jennifer Russell
$25.00
Icka Music/Sugarbone Records
This three-CD set contains songs about fifty-two virtues, from assertiveness
to unity, that guide the spiritual and moral development of children.
The music was inspired by Linda Kavelin Popov’s book, The Family
Virtues Guide.
Jennifer Russell has mined just about every musical style to present
these delightful, simple songs: reggae and pop, jazz and blues, ballads
and folk. All are expertly produced, with a relatively large band that
includes brass, keyboards, violin, guitar, and drums and a lovely chorus
of backup singers. The great variety keeps the music interesting from
song to song. And because repetition helps everyone remember, each
song has a catchy chorus that drives home the central idea.
These songs present both simple and complex ideas, so that children
of different ages can get something meaningful from them. They concentrate
on how our actions affect the world around us and also how they relate
to God. For example, the chorus in “Honor” says “God
made me noble, And gave me a place of honor, In that place there is
no shame, I practice the virtues and glory reigns.”
The Virtues Songs received the United Church of Religious Science
2004 Art Award, and are also recommended by the Parents’ Choice
Foundation and The National Parenting Center.
The Virtues Songs: icka music/Sugarbone Records P.O. Box 611 Montrose,
CA 91202The Virtues Songbook: 888.SUGAR44 or 818-244-5661.
—Beth Adelman
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