Prana: Music for Yoga, Meditation & Relaxation

Chronique

The opening Shanti chant of "Prana" (the first song on Shaman's Dream album of the same name) and the alluring trill of the bansuri indicate in no uncertain terms that this album is intended for deep introspection. Craig Kohland and Chuck Jonkey, the conceptual force behind Shaman's Dream, have subtly blended synth work with traditional instruments like the sitar, the gong, and the Javanese gamelan to achieve expansive, mind-delighting musical effects. Environmental sounds such as voices, insects, crackling fires, and birds are scattered throughout the album. These were recorded on location in Bali, Java, Thailand, Costa Rica, India, Tibet, Brazil, and the Peruvian Amazon, and give the whole a global, deeply organic sound that helps transport the listener's mind. "Honey in the Heart" juxtaposes Eastern motifs (played on the tamboura and the bansuri) with the voices of a hill tribe from Thailand. "Sacred Alchemy" has village children from Bali talking faintly beneath the insistent rhythm of a Sudanese Kendang. Best listened to from beginning to end (the album is remarkably of a piece), PRANA proves particularly suitable for the practice of yoga and meditation.
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