Stock: 
Format: 
Release Date: 25-11-1999
Label: Celestial Harmonies
Catalog Number: 13181-2
Barcode: 13711318128
Musical Style: World
Track Listing:
| Disc 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gathering [08:00] | 4 | Whirling Into The Light [09:31] |
| 2 | Shaman [07:01] | 5 | Trance - Formation [13:08] |
| 3 | They Come [10:31] | 6 | Return [11:19] |
Description:
This project was inspired by the great shamanic traditions of the world, in particular those of Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. It is also inspired by the writings of Gurdjieff and Madam Blavatsky and the art of Nicholas Roerich. The word shaman these days is loosely applied to medicine men, dervishes, lamas, etc. It originally comes from the Tungus people of Siberia. It is not the name of a religion as such, but has become a name for those people who have certain mystical experiences irrespective of philosophy, religion or culture - a kind of universal brotherhood or sisterhood. These experiences may be in the form of ecstatic states where the shaman leaves the body and travels to the upper or lower worlds. The shaman is even likely to exhibit control over nature (siddhi in sanskrit). He or she may also be a great healer. In composing Shaman, David Parsons imagined a gathering of mystics, headed by a high shaman, at night in a remote desert valley.' This recording is his 'impression of a complete ceremony where mantras are chanted and dervishes are whirling in ecstatic trances to the rhythm of the music.' It is Parsons' intention to leave the listener to imagine what the track titles mean as they will surely mean different things to different people.'
Biography:
From his home in New Zealand, Parsons travels frequently to Asia for spiritual and musical inspiration. After collecting musical samples and studying different musical and cultural traditions, Parsons returns to his studio to integrate these influences with his own experiences. In the process, he bridges disparate elements with seamless grace and creates a unique musical affirmation of our common humanity and cultural endowment. Parsons has been a student of classical Indian music, studying with Krishna Chakravarty - Ananda and Circular Dance , who has studied with Ravi Shankar. David Parson's recordings make the Eastern sensibility comprehensible to the Western listener and formulate a unique and captivating new expression. Recent releases include the original synthesizer recordings, Himalaya. In 1990, Parsons produced the recording, Sacred Ceremonies: Ritual Music of Tibetan Buddhism. This is the first part of a landmark cultural preservation project undertaken at the request of the monks of the Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery, an order in exile from Tibet, who have taken refuge in Dharmsala, India. Parsons' work is often featured in film, television and radio scores and it has been widely praised by reviewers.
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