Spiritual
Journeys of the World.
The first album by The Rain Garden in 10 years. India finds
this amazing multi-instrumental musician in duo format,
as they take you on a atmospheric journey through India,
starting and ending at the River Ganges.
background
It
has been said that India is impossible to sum up in words.
It has a unique aura and mystery, a unity in diversity of
cultures, faiths and spiritual viewpoints. There is no way
to include everything in one album, and as India has the largest
population of Hindus in the world, we occasionally reference
some Hindu traditions.
India has inspired our music for many years. We have been
involved in Indian classical, folk and fusion music for over
half our lives and it has woven itself into our musical lexicon.
Rather than portray India in music on this album, we thought
of dwelling on how the spirit of India has affected us, sending
us on our own journey, which continues 23 years on from when
The Rain Garden began. In tracing our own journey, we created
the musical journey on this album which we hope you will enjoy
as much as we enjoyed creating it.
hear album
influences
Jai
Uttal, Oregon, Al Gromer Khan, Oregon, Paul Winter, Collin
Walcott
trivia
India
is The Rain Garden's first album in 10 years and is their first
duo CD release. 2 duo cassette albums were relased in the
early 90s but they haven't been rereleased on CD.
Nightfall
in Odayam includes sounds recorded at night by a rice field
in Odayam.
1,
3, 4, 5, 6, 10 - by Chris Conway & Carl Peberdy
2, 6, 8 - by Chris Conway
7 – traditional arranged by Chris Conway & Carl Peberdy
9 - music by Chris Conway, words traditional
thanks to Genghis Attenborough at The Freesound Project www.freesound.org
for his field recording of Odayam in Kerala.
1.
The Ganges – Om
The journey starts at the river Ganges, which Hindus regard
as the holiest of rivers. It was named after the goddess
Ganga, the daughter of the mountain god Himalaya. “Om” is
a sacred syllable that is chanted in Hindu and Buddhist
prayers and mantras and symbolises the whole universe coalesced
into a single sound and represents the union of mind, body,
and spirit.
Chris Conway – piano, keyboards, swarmandal, frame drums,
temple bells, vocals, sound effects
Carl Peberdy - sitar
2.
The Endless Path
This piece reflects the long and winding path in search
of enlightenment – the path can take you up hills and down
valleys, and onto high plateaus, but the path ahead is always
there. A true spiritual journey never ends.
Chris
Conway – low Irish whistle, acoustic & electric 9 string
guitars, keyboards, vocals, percussion
Carl Peberdy – sitar, vocals, tabla
3.
Soul Searching
This piece captures the feeling of the soul's search, which
sometimes can be a lonely one. Then, often unexpectedly,
one can find something – a connection, a community, a creative
thought. The hypnotic repeated chanting (to the god Rama)
is taken up by voices and rhythm, and the bamboo flute and
voice rejoins energised by what it has found.
Chris Conway – bamboo flute, low whistle, keyboards, vocals,
frame drums, percussion
Carl Peberdy – vocals, sitar
4.
Unfolding Lotus
The lotus flower has been a divine symbol in Asian cultures
from ancient times onwards and symbolizes divinity, fertility,
wealth, knowledge and enlightenment. Its unfolding petals
suggest the expansion of the soul and the flowers beauty,
growing untouched from out of the muddy water where it grows
symbolizes the purity of heart and mind.
Chris Conway – piano, low Irish whistle, keyboards, acoustic
& electric 9 string guitars, vocals, percussion
Carl Peberdy – sitar, tabla, vocals
5
Mandala
A mandala is a concentric diagram having spiritual and ritual
importance in both Buddhism and Hinduism. Mandalas may be
employed for focusing attention, as a spiritual teaching
tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to
meditation and trance induction.
Chris Conway – tin whistles, acoustic & electric 9 string
guitars, keyboards, percussion, vocals
Carl Peberdy – sitar, tabla, vocals
6.
The Aravalli Mountains
The Aravalli mountain range is located in western India
running approximately 300 miles from northeast to southwest
across Rajasthan state. Rajasthan is an area with a strong
folk music and dancing tradition and this piece has been
inspired by Rajasthani folk music, with the usual Rain Garden
twists of course.
Chris Conway – tin whistle, keyboards, harmonium, samples,
percussion
Carl Peberdy – sitar, tabla, vocals, gopichand
7.
Bhajale Sita Ram
The melody is taken from a traditional "Dhun",
sung repeatedly for spiritual purification.
Chris Conway – bamboo flute, tin whistles, acoustic 9 string
guitar, keyboards, percussion
Carl Peberdy – sitar, tabla, manjira, kartal
8.
Nightfall in Odayam
This piece features a field recording made at night in Odayam
in Kerala, South India amid coconut palms by a flooded rice
field. Spotted owlets, crickets, frogs that sound like dripping
water, and Indian flying foxes can be heard. Atmospheric
music was added including some of The Rain Garden's more
exotic instruments.
Chris
Conway – piano, electric 9 string guitar, theremin, keyboards,
sound effects
Carl Peberdy – sitar, bells, gopichand, rain stick, wind
chimes
9.
Govinda
The words of Govinda are taken from one of the best known
Hindu bhajans. It is sung in praise of Krishna, and translates
as “All glories to Lord Govinda! All glories to Lord Gopala!
All glories to Lord Sri Hari, the husband of Radharani.”
Chris Conway – low whistle, keyboards, electric 9 string
guitar, theremin, effects, vocals, percussion
Carl Peberdy – sitar, tabla, vocals, ghoongru
10.
Return To The Ganges
We reach the end of the journey with a feeling of deep peace
and contentment and, coming full circle, we return once
more to the Ganges.
Chris Conway – low whistle, electric 9 string guitar, keyboards,
sound effects
Carl Peberdy – sitar
