Improvisation to Improvisation - Impressions of the Music of Peter
Kater and R. Carlos Nakai: from "Improvisations In Concert"
(c)&(p) 1996 Silver Wave Records.
A little white cloud is sliding through the sky, carried by light
air stream. It is beautiful and weightless. It is pure and natural,
as natural can be the Life itself. And now it melts far away...
But you feel, how its beauty, while drowning you, are feeding
you. And you feel freshness and joy. And you feel fine in this
best of all the worlds.
This world existed without us. It was waiting for us. And it needs
you, it needs your spirit, it needs your heart. It will not survive
without you. And it will be a little bit sad without it.
Look, how beautiful is this little planet. How wonderful is this
world. Let it come into you, fill you.
Where and when did we leave the Country of the Spirit? Why have
we forgotten the most precious treasure - Human Spirit? Where
are you sleeping, the forgotten one and left not needed?
The time comes to return. The time comes to return to yourself.
The time comes to remember, who are You, and why do you exist.
The time comes to throw away all the little things and try to
remember that you are the Spirit. You are Beauty and Love. And
this is the only your reality. The time comes to feel yourself
here, in this very moment. To feel yourself, to feel the Life
itself. It is so beautiful! It is so exciting! It is do infinite!
The Earth without beginning and end
The Earth of wonderful beauty
"The Earth of Spirit"
Look there, feel it.
In the non-beginning sequence of world
Is one Magical Land
And it begins here,
And it is Yourself
And it is all around,
And its name is Infinite Spirit
Without beginning and end,
Without borders and obstacles,
Just in this very moment.
Just look into Yourself
Just look around you,
And maybe this Spirit will come to life again.
***
Drops of rain on a glass,
Drops of dew on a grass,
Light of the sun all around,
Suddenly this comes to be so beautiful.
Free eagle in the skies,
High mountains in gray clouds,
Children's laughter far away,
Minutes of a tender love,
Meeting old friend,
Severe winter storm.
Feel the beauty of this world. Be here for a while. And let your
presence be blessed. Let the Love itself be blessed. Because you
are Love.
Somewhere in the endless steppes stays a lonely rock. It is so
old. It has seen the beginning of this world. It has experienced
everything. And if you're able to climb this rock, you'll feel
a wonderful lightness. You'll feel that the wind tries to fan
you like a sail of a menacing ship. And you'll be able to see
infinite lands around you: from the horizon to the horizon. And
stay tete a tete with this Infinity. And disappear in it...
Joanne Shenandoah & Lawrence Laughing - "Orenda: Native American
Songs Of Life"
(c)&(p) 1998 Silver Wave Records
16tks/48mins
Have you heard the silent song of Mother-Earth? Have you felt
the beating of Her pulse? Have you ever touched the wild, pristine
nature? You should surely hear the album "Orenda", because
this is the song, coming from the very roots of existence, the
naked music of the Spirit.
This album is the last, the third solo work by a remarkable composer
and performer Joanne Shenandoah, who popularize the music of native
citizens of America. Preceding albums by Joanne ("Matriarch"
and "Life Blood") were accepted by listeners very warmly,
and Billboard magazine even called her "the Native American
version of Enya". This comparison is not an accidental one,
because the performing by Joanne Shenandoah is very womanly and
emotionally deep. Her songs are celebration of life, realizing
herself as a organic part of enormous Universum. Besides, the
album booklet contains both information concerning each composition
contents and the photographs of Joanne - not only a remarkable
performer but also a charming woman. Her singing contains harmonic
smoothness and trancity which are characteristic to American Indians
melodies.
In the recording of the album took part another remarkable performer
Lawrence Laughing, who, by his pathetic vocal and delicate percussion
helped to create the special spiritual aura, which comes from
the music of this album, and, warming soul makes this world more
warm and more comfortable for us.
At present are very popular various stylizations on Indian music
and singing of pseudo-Indian songs. "Orenda" is far
from the "art" of this kind, because this is a deep
penetration into a soul of a native inhabitant of America, this
is a natural music of Haudenosaunee Indians, which means "People
of the Longhouse." This American Indians community contain
the Six Nations of Iroquois: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga,
Seneca, Tuscarora. By the way, Joanne belongs to the Wolf Clan
from Oneida Nation.
This album is one of those, thanks to which one can just realize,
that he is one of the inhabitants of this Great House named Earth,
and we are all part of a Great Whole named Mankind. With the music
of Joanne Shenandoah one can feel the harmony, and it becomes
lightly to live, and one can inhale the air by a whole breast,
and live easily and joyfully in this wonderful world!
P.S. I would like to express my gratitude to Alexander Petrov
for translation of these reviews.
