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Chanting is a wonderful way to relax; chanting calms and clears the mind of random thought. Paula discovered through her research that every culture chants, every culture is interested in communing with their divine self and every culture strives for inner peace and has a name for God. Paula Gilbert, one of the main artists and the producer of the album, believes that as we create this peace inside each one of us, so shall the world be peaceful.
Paula tells her spritual story of how the album was made: "I attended a shamanic mask making class in October after 9/11. During the class we did several journeys as a process for making the mask. A journey is a guided meditation using your imagination. In shamanism, the mask holds the "good medicine" for the coming year. In the journey, I became fluid like water and went into the earth. I saw myself dressed as a bear going around a table with children. I also saw a stone mouse from my Mother’s table that we had made together up in the mountains when I was young. Then I saw birds flying through the light above me and I felt the Bear merge with me and tell me that he would be there to help me with strength in the coming year. Then the bear said we would need some birds for spirituality and a blue bird with a black head appeared and told me to gather the chants from all over the world, especially Afghanistan and to put them on a CD for healing and prayer." There were other parts to the vision telling her to use not just her own renditions but also to do the research and to include a chant for the children and the soldiers.
After the class, Paula went home with her mask and began the research and started collecting the chants. She told her mother about her vision and her mother offered to help out. She wanted as many chants from different cultures and languages and possible. Once she had collected several chants, on December 16, 2001 the recording began at Joe Hoffmann Studios in Occidental, California. Paula Gilbert, with Tory Rotlisberger and Mal Tornay (members of her Papa Divas Band) started off the recording with their beautiful rendition of Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai, Ram Om which means "I am, you are, we are one."
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The recording continued on December 30th in a beautiful mansion on top of a hill in Sonoma County with a large group of people including musician Zackary Miller on dijiridu (one of the oldest instruments on the planet). Mal Tornay again brought his wonderful drumming ability along with his daughter, a beautiful singer, Elise Tornay. Katy Ketchum an artist from Sebastopol brought her healing voice and impeccable piano playing and her husband Mike, a poet, who also added to the vocal team. Performance artist, Tory Rotlisberger again brought her healing voice along with her friends and vocalists Joanna Noble, Karen Wallace and John Faulkner. Rick Mariani of Wolf Coffee with his twin sons Nicolas and Mitchell added their vibrant vocal mix as well. Paula’s family also participated in this recording session, with her Mother, Pat Gear, two Brothers, Karl and Rodney Sanchez, her sister-in-law Bethany Sanchez and her niece, Crystal Sanchez. Paula remembers, "It was a great healing adventure to all sing together. I remember it was pouring rain outside. It was like the skies were raining all the tears of grief we felt for the victims of the 9/11 attack."
The spiritual adventure of creating this CD continued with several other recording sessions adding more cultures and more voices. Performance artist Lisamarie Kirkess added a beautiful, healing Quan Yin chant to represent the Far East. Carol Levy offered her beautiful vocal with two Jewish chants. Jamie Lampert, Chelsea Thompson and Quincy Wise, all students of Paula’s, added their vocals to the children’s chant, Funga Alafia.
Then in March of 2002 Paula happened to meet Hans Jurgen Kary (Hansadutta dasa) through her good friend and teacher Jim Seymour and the adventure continued. Hansadutta, a Swami from the Hare Krishna faith offered a complete Kirtan (Indian chanting and eating tradition).
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The Hare Krishna chant was recorded in April of 2002 with 6 Krishna devotees, Nakula dasa, Vishwambhara dasa, Lokanatha dasa, Gadadhara dasa, Jim Seymour and Radha Towle. They were joined by Pat Gear, Paula Gilbert, Rick Gilbert, Tory Rotlisberger, Crystal Sanchez, and Mal & Elise Tornay. Hansadutta spent time with The Beatles in the 60’s when they were in India learning about Krishna. After each chanting session (even at the recording studio) we all ate a wonderful vegetarian dinner prepared by Hansadutta and the devotees.
After some more time passed and the graphics were created for the CD by Paul Bacon, Paula added the "I Love You Chant" by Chanara, her teacher and friend now living in Santa Fe, NM, and the final recording session was done by Paula Gilbert with her beautiful rendition of the Shiva mantra in Sanskrit which translated means "I honor the divine within."
The album was recorded, edited and mixed by Joe Hoffmann Studios, Occidental, CA. The photographs were done by Joe Hoffmann, and the CD graphics manufacturing were done by Paul Bacon of KABA Audio Productions - www.kabaaudio.com. Individual pages detailing each song (viewable through each song's "more info" link in the Chanting Listening Room were created by Dave Rose of d2m interactive.
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"We all came together in hope of creating a statement that says
We all want to get along - We all want the world to get along
and we know this is possible."
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ALBUM ARTISTS:
Katy Ketchum Carroll
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia, Ubi Caritas
Mike Carroll
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Chanara
Songs: I Love You Chant
Gadadhara dasa
Songs: Govinda Prayers, Hare Krishna
Hansadutta dasa
Songs: Govinda Prayers, Hare Krishna
Lokanatha dasa
Songs: Govinda Prayers, Hare Krishna
Nakula dasa
Songs: Govinda Prayers, Hare Krishna
Vishwambhara dasa
Songs: Govinda Prayers, Hare Krishna
John Faulkner
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Pat Gear
Songs: Call to Prayer, Govinda Prayers, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hare Krishna, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Paula Gilbert
Songs: Call to Prayer, Siyahamba, Govinda Prayers, Amazing Grace, Shalom Chaverim, Om Mane Padme Hum, Alleluia, E Aloha Mana Pono, Sri Ram, Names Chant, Hare Krishna, Hey Yana Ho, Mine Ma Tov, Petatonica, Dodi Li, Funga Alafia, Quan Yin, Ubi Caritas, Om Namaha Shivaya
Rick Gilbert
Songs: Call to Prayer, Govinda Prayers, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hare Krishna, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Lisamarie Kirkness
Songs: Alleluia, Names Chant, Quan Yin
Jamie Lampert
Songs: Funga Alafia
Daniel Lauter
Songs: I Love You Chant
Carol Levy
Songs: Shalom Chaverim, Hine Ma Tov
Mitchell Mariani
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Nicholas Mariani
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Rick Mariani
Songs: Amazing Grace
Zackary Miller
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Joanna Noble
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Robert Powell
Songs: I Love You Chant
Constance Romero
Songs: Siyahamba, Dodi Li
Tory Rotlisberger
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, Alleluia, E Aloha Mana Pono, Names Chant, Hare Krishna, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Bethany Sanchez
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Crystal Sanchez
Songs: Call to Prayer, Govinda Prayers, Amazing Grace, Shalom Chaverim, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hare Krishna, Hey Yana Ho, Gaelic Blessing, Pentatonica, Dodi Li, Funga Alafia
Karl Sanchez
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Rodney Sanchez
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia, Sufi Poem
Jim Seymour
Songs: Govinda Prayers, Hare Krishna
Chelsea Thompson
Songs: Funga Alafia
Tomu
Songs: E Aloha Mana Pono
Elise Tornay
Songs: Call to Prayer, Siyahamba, Govinda Prayers, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono,
Mal Tornay
Songs: Call to Prayer, Siyahamba, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Sri Ram, Hine Ma Tov, Pentatonica, Dodi Li, Funga Alafia
Radha Towle
Songs: Govinda Prayers, Hare Krishna
Karen Wallace
Songs: Call to Prayer, Amazing Grace, Om Mane Padme Hum, E Aloha Mana Pono, Hey Yana Ho, Pentatonica, Funga Alafia
Quincey Wise
Songs: Funga Alafia
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