All Categories
Amazon.com Recorded in America during the Chinese crackdown on Tibet, two of these three extended tracks feature 21 monks from the 500-year-old Gyüto Tantric Order, chanting for freedom and world peace. Beautifully recorded, it features the monks, each singing two and three note polyphonics from the throat, accompanied by occasional percussion and ceremonial horns in trance-inducing meditations to the Buddhist deities Yamantaka and Mahakala. Cosmic harmony and tolerance are well served by these uplifting incantations which constitute some of the best recordings of this uniquely Tibetan sacred music. A bonus to this spiritual and transcendental endeavor is a track by Mickey Hart, Phillip Glass, and Kitaro, live in front of an audience (and the monks) in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. --Derek Rath From the Label The Monks produce polyphonic chanting of incredible power and depth, creating resonances both musical and spiritual. This program also features a performance offering to The Monks by Mickey Hart, Kitaro and Philip Glass and featuring Jerry Garcia. It is important to remember, when listening to this recording, that these incantations are not songs, but prayers from ancient ritual traditions. Recorded during their 1988 American tour, in the sonically amazing confines of Lucasfilm's Skywalker Ranch sound studios, two nearly-30-minute recitations focus traditional Tibetan Buddhist deities and their respective powers upon the modern world. "Yamantaka" aligns the Monks with the divine Buddha form "Terminator of Death," chanting to exorcise human afflictions of anger, avarice, lust and envy. "Mahakala," the frightening six-armed protector, is invoked in this eponymous ceremony to protect the earth and all its inhabitants. A third track, "#2 for Gaia," is a live performance by Mickey Hart, Philip Glass, and Kitaro, recorded at New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine as a tribute to the Monks, who were in attendance at the performance. Proceeds from all sales of this recording benefit the Gyuto Sacred Trust.