Shabda : शब्द

Gorgeously serene and mystical, full of atmosphere and timeless grace. The mainly female voices maintain the charm and spell throughout – whispering, singing, speaking, breathing, with classical elements, soft oohs and aahs – perfectly attuned to the mood and vision established by the music. Slightly melancholy in places – wistful and emotional, occasionally powerful, always with a subtle, richly layered dreaminess.

On …In Existence, Sawyer blends English and French lyrics, as well as the traditional chants of the Hopi Indians and fromEast African Swahili, underscoring these elements with melodic, meditative pop music. More an overall, multi-ethnic experience than an easily categorized adult contemporary release, it’s best experienced in its entirety, as a journey to some sort of spiritual center.

A fantastic album of dreamy instrumental music. Somehow this album encapsulates alot of Phil Thornton’s styles, as each track has a different feel – some ethnic, some romantic (the almost classical, piano-based feel of the last track), others drenched in flutes. The flutes really are to the fore in this recording; a few are played by Nigel Shaw. The production is top quality, clear, uncluttered, yet also full. Definitely one of his best works.

The CD includes excerpts from the following books of Gibran Khalil Gibran – The Prophet “and” The processions; of Omar Khayyam – “The Rubaiyat” and Jalal Ud-Din Rumi – “Mystical Poems – Divan of Shams of Tabriz.”

“Mystical Poems of the Orient” is a treatise on Transcendence. Both Music, and Poetry, insist and point to the transience of human dreams and the enduring values of the Spirit. The end result for the attentive listener is a great transformation of consciousness.

Jan Kounen’s Blueberry is a gorgeously shot metaphysical mind trip that will undoubtedly lose those looking for a conventional Western, but will find a home with fans who find joy in confused flicks that delight in their whacked-out madness.