the project

This project was inspired by the great shamanic traditions of the world, in particular those of Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. It is also inspired by the writings of Gurdjieff and Madam Blavatsky, and the art of Nicholas Roerich. The word shaman these days is loosely applied to medicine men, dervishes, lamas, etc. It originally comes from the Tungus people of Siberia. It is not the name of a religion as such, but has become a name for those people who have certain mystical experiences irrespective of philosophy, religion or culture—a kind of universal brotherhood or sisterhood. These experiences may be in the form of ecstatic states where the shaman leaves the body and travels to the upper or lower worlds. The shaman is even likely to exhibit control over nature (siddhi in sanskrit). He or she may also be a great healer.

In composing Shaman, David Parsons "imagined a gathering of mystics, headed by a high shaman, at night in a remote desert valley." This recording is his "impression of a complete ceremony where mantras are chanted and dervishes are whirling in ecstatic trances to the rhythm of the music."

It is Parsons' intention to leave the listener to imagine what the track titles mean as they will surely mean different things to different people.

the artist

From his homeland in New Zealand, David Parsons travels frequently to Asia for spiritual and musical inspiration. After collecting musical samples and studying different musical and cultural traditions, Parsons returns to his studio to integrate these influences with his own experiences. In the process, he bridges disparate elements with seamless grace, and creates a unique musical affirmation of our common humanity and cultural endowment. Parsons has been a student of Indian music, studying with Dr. Krishna Chakravarty—Ananda (17046), Dancing to the Flute (13135) and Circular Dance (13133).

Parsons' recordings make the Eastern sensibility comprehensible to the Western listener and formulate a unique and captivating new expression. To Parsons' credit as a musician, composer and performer, he has evolved into a rare and highly acclaimed producer of cultural music traditions. His work is often featured in film, television and radio scores, and continues to be widely praised by reviewers.

biography

discography

tracklist

1 The Gathering 8'00"
2 Shaman 7'01"
3 They Come 10'31"
4 Whirling Into The Light 9'31"
5 Trance - Formation 13'08"
6 The Return 11'19"
  Total Time: 59'59"