Ravi Shankar “Sarve Shaam” (Official Lyric/Mantra Video)
Give yourself five minutes to enrich your spirit.
Om
Taken from Chants of India by Ravi Shankar, produced by George Harrison and released on HariSongs.
Sonny Rollins: Meditating on a Riff
I just discovered in my Twitter feed an illuminating source for the book I’m writing about spirituality and the healing power of music.
Sonny Rollins: Meditating on a Riff, A Journey Into His World of Spirituality by Hugh Wyatt.
It’s the second title from a new, independent book publisher Kamama Books that focuses on books as diverse and offbeat as the city itself.
Jazz legend Sonny Rollins spent his youth hustling on the streets of his native Harlem, but over time the tenor saxophonist shifted gears and developed the reputation of being “the world’s greatest living jazz musician.” Did he deserve such a lofty title?
This biography, entitled Sonny Rollins: Meditating on a Riff, will attempt to answer this and other questions. However, it will not be a regurgitation of previous books or articles that focus exclusively on jazz. Instead, the major focus of this book will be on Sonny’s adventurous foray into spirituality and even the occult.
The secretive Sonny experimented with certain esoteric forms of yoga and spirituality, such as Rosicrucianism and other otherworldly practices. His goal was not only to achieve God-realization, among other things but to develop certain powers that would enable him to unlock the secrets of the universe.
Wyatt’s riveting biography offers a unique glimpse into the psyche of one of the most reclusive figures in jazz. It is a tell-all that reveals intimate and unpublished details of his fascinating life directly from Sonny himself, as well as his family members and close friends
These Are The Words – Patti Smith
Friday, May 18th gave us the simultaneous launch of the documentary and original soundtrack for Pope Francis: A Man of His Word.
This film is intended to be a personal journey with Pope Francis, rather than a biographical documentary about him. The pope’s ideas and his message are central to this documentary, which sets out to present his work of reform and his answers to today’s global questions. From his deep concern for the poor and wealth inequality, to his involvement in environmental issues and social justice, Pope Francis engages the audience face-to-face and calls for peace.
Viva Papa!
I love the collaboration accomplished by Director Wim Wenders and the artist Patti Smith. Their collective effort benefits viewer and listeners in capturinhg the true spiritual resonance Pope Francis conveys in our world. How rewarding it must be to have your words and film raising further consciousness about the Holy Father. The illumination of our spirits is the direct result. I can’t wait to see this film in a movie theater for I am convinced as a devout Roman Catholic the experience embodies my faith and teachings.
Patti Smith’s song “These Are the Words” are heard over the closing credits. I’ve been listening to the song repeatedly while writing this blog post. It gives one pause and solace.
Filmmaker Wim Wenders says that Patti Smith “is a truly amazing spiritual person, not just one of the greatest singers and songwriters ever. She admires St. Francis very much, and at one point, she told me she stayed in the same Franciscan monastery where we also ate with the monks every night when we shot the St. Francis episodes,” Wenders said. “And she told these very kind and friendly brothers that she was convinced that the next Pope was going to be called Francis. They all laughed wholeheartedly and told her this was, unfortunately, never going to happen. And then it happened!”
Wenders added, “When I first heard Patti’s song and read the lyrics that she had sent along, I admit, I was in tears. This was such an incredible gift to the film. She had found the perfect way to sum it up in her words. It is uplifting without ever being remotely embarrassing, which is close to impossible. But she did it.
Let There Be Peace On Earth
My favorite spiritual hymn is, “Let There Be Peace on Earth”, by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller.
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Jill Jackson |
Let there be peace on earth,
and let it begin with me;
let there be peace on earth,
the peace that was meant to be.
With God our creator,
family all are we.
Let us walk with each other
in perfect harmony.*
* © 1955 Jan-Lee Music, renewed 1983. Used by permission; all rights reserved.
“When I attempted suicide [in 1944] and I didn’t succeed,” Jill Jackson said, “I knew for the first time unconditional love—which God is. You are totally loved, totally accepted, just the way you are. At that moment I was not allowed to die, and something happened to me, which is very difficult to explain. I had an eternal moment of truth, in which I knew I was loved, and I knew I was here for a purpose.”
This realization was followed by years of exploring her spiritual nature and her relationship with God. Jackson discovered her love for writing and began writing songs with Sy Miller after they married in 1949.
In 1955, she wrote the lyrics for “Let There Be Peace on Earth” while her husband wrote the melody. The song was introduced at a California retreat to a group of young people who were from a wide variety of religious, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The young people had come together for a weeklong experience devoted to developing friendship and understanding through education, discussion and working together. The song’s focus on peace and God made it easy to cross many boundaries.
Sy Miller wrote about the effect of the song: “One summer evening in 1955, a group of 180 teenagers of all races and religions, meeting at a workshop high in the California mountains locked arms, formed a circle and sang a song of peace. They felt that singing the song, with its simple basic sentiment—‘Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me’—helped to create a climate for world peace and understanding.
“When they came down from the mountain, these inspired young people brought the song with them and started sharing it. And, as though on wings, ‘Let There Be Peace on Earth’ began an amazing journey around the globe. It traveled first, of course, with the young campers back to their homes and schools, churches and clubs.”
Miller noted that the song was then shared in all 50 states at school graduations, PTA meetings, holiday gatherings, celebrations of Brotherhood Week, Veterans Day, Human Rights Day and United Nations Day. Kiwanis clubs sang it, as well as 4-H clubs, United Auto Workers, the American Legion, the B’nai B’rith and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).
The song was taped, copied, printed in songbooks and passed by word of mouth. Eventually, it spread overseas, sung by Maoris in New Zealand and Zulus in Africa.
In 2009 Random House published “Let There Be Peace on Earth” as a children’s book.
The above information is lovingly shared from History of Hymns, authored by Dr. C. Michael Hawn a professor of sacred music at Perkins School of Theology, SMU.
Remembering George
George Harrison the soulful Beatle left us 16 years ago on this day.
He always creates a sense of peace in the music of our heart.
We Love and Miss You, George.
Panduranga Henderson – Ocean of Love
My Record Store Day, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday purchase from eBay.
From the ashram that brought you The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda.
Journey to the Heart
Music of our Heart, We are one
Reflections of the heart
Right from the very start
Our faith will never be undone
It is Sunday and all is still in the house. I listen in spiritual appreciation to Kitaro’s newest CD, Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 5. The next leg of the journey commences.
I am rewarded with a new tapestry of sounds and sensations. It is the perfect backdrop as I prepare my soul to renew my lector assignment at the 11:30 mass. I have been absent from God’s altar for 113 days and I’m eager to renew my stewardship in Christ’s teachings.
Today is the Second Sunday of Easter and the readings support the Gospel according to John, 20:19-31. “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
A gift included with Kitaro’s CD is Journey to the Heart III, “Music for Healing”. A sampler CD that ties the journey together starting the initial track “Tabiji” from Kitaro’s An Ancient Journey.
Sacred Journey Of Ku-Kai, Volume 5 – Kitaro
I prepare within the music of our heart for the next leg of the sacred journey with Kitaro to Ku-Kai. My soul is yearning to experience the universal peace brought by the bells resounding across the sacred temples.
To Be Released On April 21st, 2017
Formats: CD / Digital Download
Available for Pre-Order
Kitaro’s Sacred Journey Of Ku-Kai Volume 5 follows the highly acclaimed Volumes 1 through 4 of the series, all of which have earned Grammy nominations.
The Ku-Kai series concept arose after the global events on the fateful day of September 11, 2001. Kitaro was traveling on a jet from Japan to Los Angeles when the transcontinental flight was diverted to Hawaii for five days due to the tragedy. It was during this time of disbelief and uncertainty that Kitaro envisioned the Ku-Kai series as a means of uniting the world through music embracing his frequently referenced universal message of peace.
The Sacred Journey Of Ku-Kai series is an earthly voyage that transports the listener to Shikoku, Japan. It pays homage to the beloved Buddhist holy man Ku-Kai who traveled the 750 mile long pilgrimage to the 88 sacred temples on the island over 1100 years ago. Each track on the album revolves around an audio sample of the bell sound from each temple. With these bell sounds, Kitaro distils their essences with inspired musical interpretations.
Tracklist:
01. Soul From Ocean
02. Breath Of Light
03. Reflection Of The Heart
04. Wave Rotation
05. Time And Space Cry
06. Sea Of Clouds
07. Floating Lotus Flower
08. Wind Invitation
09. Journey For Nirvana
10. Water Miracle
The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda
I have waited patiently within my soul for the spiritual music of Alice Coltrane to become available. As a firm believer in spirituality and the healing power of music these recordings resonate to the foundation of my beliefs.
“…If we put one fourth of the time into trying to understand our spirituality that we put into wanting to grow more wealthy, we would find some of the incredible things occurring in our universe that we need to be aware of…”
Alice Coltrane’s devotion to spirituality was the central purpose of the final four decades of her life, an often-overlooked awakening that largely took shape during her four-year marriage to John Coltrane and after his 1967 death. By 1983, Alice had established the 48- acre Sai Anantam Ashram outside of Los Angeles. She quietly began recording music from the ashram, releasing it within her spiritual community in the form of private press cassette tapes. On May 5th, the record label Luaka Bop, founded by David Byrne, will release the first-ever compilation of recordings from this period, making these songs available to the wider public for the first time. Entitled ‘World Spirituality Classics, Volume 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda’, the release is the first installment in a planned series of spiritual music from around the globe; curated, compiled and distributed by Luaka Bop.
This powerful, largely unheard body of work finds Alice singing for the first time in her recorded catalog, which dates back to 1963 and includes appearances on six John Coltrane albums, alongside Charlie Haden and McCoy Tyner, and 14 albums as bandleader starting with her Impulse! debut in 1967 with ‘A Monastic Trio.’ The songs featured on the Luaka Bop release have been culled from the four cassettes that Alice recorded and released between 1982 and 1995: ‘Turiya Sings,’ ‘Divine Songs,’ ‘Infinite Chants,’ and ‘Glorious Chants.’ The digital, cassette and CD release will feature eight songs. The double-vinyl edition features two additional songs, “Krishna Japaye” from 1990’s ‘Infinite Chants, and the previously unreleased “Rama Katha” from a separate ‘Turiya Sings’ recording session.
Luaka Bop teamed with Alice’s children to find the original master tapes in the Coltrane archive. The recordings were prepared for re-mastering by the legendary engineer Baker Bigsby (Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, John Coltrane), who had overseen the original sessions in the 80s and 90s. The compilation showcases a diverse array of recordings in addition to Alice’s first vocal work: solo performances on her harp, small ensembles, and a 24-piece vocal choir. The release is dotted with eastern percussion, synthesizers, organs and strings, making for a mesmerizing, even otherworldly, listen. Alice was inspired by Vedic devotional songs from India and Nepal, adding her own music sensibility to the mix with original melodies and sophisticated song structures. She never lost her ability to draw from the bebop, blues and old-time spirituals of her Detroit youth, fusing a Western upbringing with Eastern classicism. In all, these recordings amount to a largely untold chapter in the life story of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda.
In addition to the recordings, GRAMMY-winning music historian Ashley Kahn has written extensive liner notes for the collection. The package also includes a series of interviews with those who knew Alice best, conducted by Dublab’s Mark “Frosty” McNeill, and an as-told-to interview between musician Surya Botofasina (who was raised on Alice’s ashram) and journalist Andy Beta. 2017 marks what would have been Alice’s 80th year of life, as well as the 10th anniversary of her passing. Alice will be celebrated at events throughout the United States, Europe and South America in the coming year. With this in mind, the time is right to bring this meaningful piece of Turiyasangitananda’s legacy into focus.
Track Listing
1. Om Rama*
2. Om Shanti
3. Rama Rama
4. Rama Guru
5. Hari Narayan
6. Journey to Satchidananda**
7. Er Ra
8. Keshava Murahara
9. Krishna Japaye
10. Rama Katha
Benedicta: Marian Chant from Norcia – The Monks of Norcia
CBS Sunday Morning featured a segment on this morning’s show, “Chanting monks become best selling recording artists“.
I became intrigued on several levels by what I heard and felt. I learned that Father Cassian Folsom hailed from Connecticut with a passion for music and reviving the Monastery of St. Benedict in Norcia, Italy. Being a practicing Catholic with a sense of religious music devotion I couldn’t help but be enchanted by the story and its message.
Benedicta: Marian Chant from Norcia – The Monks of Norcia is a superlative recording. In my quest to write and share the wisdom of spirituality and the healing power of music, Marian chant strikes just the right religious chord in the music of our heart.
The chanting and prayer put me at such peace. I hope you will allow the light of this recording into each of your respective hearts.
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