Artistic Works in Progress...

Protection and Giving in 2017: Rigzin Tromge

The one who conquers oneself is greater than one who conquers an army of 10,000.   

    ~ the Buddha

One of the most extraordinary artists and projects that crossed our desk in 2016 is Rigzin Tromge and her gift of sharing ancient prayers in music.  Rigzin, a deeply-dedicated Buddhist whose path included extended studies in Tibet, has only recently allowed her voice and prayers to be recorded to share with the world. An indie artist, she launched a Kickstarter effort for the radically-loving project, PROTECTION, and with over 100 sponsors and less than $6k to go in the coming days, it has a fair chance of making its goals. For us, it falls into the realm of "what the world needs now."

The artist, who embraces stunningly dramatic visual presentations of her work, released two albums to date -- UNION and TRANSITION -- and is in the process of crowdfunding to master & manufacture what may be her final album in a trilogy. Her lastest (perhaps most important album) is PROTECTION: Ancient Prayers for Radical Compassion, and it is a ceremony of protector prayers from the Tibetan Buddhist Lineages. 

Despite her fierce appearance in the PROTECTION promo materials, Rigzin's voice is gentle, ethereal, unforgettable. There is great comfort in knowing that she is constantly praying for all of us from her remote home in Northern California, surrounded by nature, her organic gardens, and her beloved dogs. Previews of the recorded vocals promise it to be as uniquely beautiful as her previous works, complemented with graphic design by celebrated artist Android Jones.

In the artist's own words, "PROTECTION is the wrathful aspect of enlightenment. These are more advanced, swifter and powerful than the peaceful practices. In these 'degenerating times,' the great highly-realized ones practice these wrathful practices.  What makes these practitioners great, more advanced, is that the practitioner must be unequivocally steeped to the deepest core of their being in selflessness and loving kindness."

If one is looking for authentic, artistic projects to support, look no further than this heart-based artist's KickStarter page. Among Rigzin's creative donor gifts are brilliant red prayer flags, Tibetan counseling, 3-album trilogy sets, and even a retreat to a remote cabin on her land in NoCal. See more, and hear a sample of the new music here.

As we enter a new era, we can all become patrons of the arts for just the price of a coffee or lunch; a good habit to adopt for the future of the authentic, positive, hi-quality art & music that we want in our world.

Visit the artist's official website: http://rigzinmusic.com/ 

The Dalai Lama Turns 80!

Feel as though you are there live, with the Dalai Lama celebrating his 80th birthday with chant and song! There is an English-language speech partway through the ceremony. Enjoy!

Review: Hokulea by AOMUSIC

Reviewed by Jonathan Widran

Driven by the expansive passions of musical and pan-cultural visionaries Richard Gannaway (stringed instruments, vocals), Miriam Stockley (vocals) and Jay Oliver (keyboards, synths, samples), AOMUSIC is all at once a truly global music phenomenon and a call to spiritual renewal by way of infectious melodies, transfixing rhythmic textures and hypnotic vocals and children’s choirs singing in their native languages from around the world. The group brings a colorful history into the rich, sweeping tapestries of their latest recording Hokulea (a Polynesian term translating to “Star of Gladness”), with their broad impact extending to an invitation to compose theme music for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, work with the Give Kids the World charity and being featured in the 2011 promotional trailer for Project Peace on Earth.

AOMUSIC gets the drums booming and guitars jangling at the outset of “Kuimba” - a track that beautifully traverses the landscapes of new age and world fusion - before Stockley’s lovely soaring voice crosses a bridge to a hypnotic choir singing an anthem in Swahili about singing and dancing till the sun rises. The dreamy, mystical title track blends deep ambiences with male and female lead vocals switching off to convey the essence of unity and home. The spiritual vibe is enhanced with a distant flute and the soothing harmonies of children. The gentle hypnosis continues via flowing, then soaring ethereal voices and light percussion textures on the Swahili language track “Sisi Ni Moja,” while “Ha Le” ambles along as an acoustic guitar driven folk song before the tribal rhythms amp up and voices swing and sway in a mix of Polynesian, Zulu, Xhosa, West African, Japanese and Hebrew (perhaps the most inspiring vocal mash-up ever!).

After the gracefully symphonic folk/new age influenced, mostly instrumental “Edge Walkers,” the group stirs up a fiery jam led by a fanciful Irish jig, dense percussion, ambient synth washes, flutes and trippy angelic harmonies. Although the title of the vibrant, soaring “Yaka Matai” almost sounds like an Eastern title, it actually derives from an exultation in the South African language of Xhosa. When the choir declares “God Is Here,” over the fiery groove, there is surely no doubt something divine is in the mix. Asia bound, the next track is the simply arranged Indonesian language tune “Itu Lagu,” which feature the charming flow of the children’s choir as the low key acoustic guitar line builds and eventually bursts into a high energy dance.

Hokulea wraps with yet another fanciful linguistic excursion, this time the Hindi language, in which a lush and innocent young female voice invokes the Divine Source in prayer; as God enters, the choir chimes in with a hopeful, solemn plea for the peace to stay and love to manifest. To the uninitiated, AOMUSIC presents world music in dynamic ways that truly reflect our common bonds as human beings. Longtime fans will enjoy the fresh, unexpected nature of what evolves, like a musical form of the Olympics, into a spirit of global cooperation and celebration of life.

– Jonathan Widran, Music Connection

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