World Music Continued

     Now, let's set out on a journey on the far side of the world, in Tibet Pilgrimage: Spiritual Discoveries in a Natural Setting. At first, we hear the tinkling of tiny bells on the collars of pack animals; then the sound of fellow travelers hiking far ahead; the cold wind gusting over the mountain ridges. Distant chanting comes ever nearer. We hear the complex polyrythms of the tabla, the haunting refrain of a flute, the heart-warming sounds of child novice monks chanting and praying as we wander further down the path.

     Things quiet down as the journey proceeds from the monastery to a village, but when we approach the village, the elephantine roar of ceremonial horns, the crashing of cymbals, and the chanting of adult monks fills the air around us. More child monks sing a counter-rhythmic chant to the adult chant. Drums pound. On spiritual pilgrimages in Tibet, it was customary to perform three ritual prostrations in front of an image or recite a mantra thrice. Each prostration served a purpose: to prevent the pilgrim from falling into a lower level of existence; to attain a higher level of rebirth; and to sublimate anger or hatred. Imagine the scene of our pilgrimage group performing these prostrations while huge horns bellow and cymbals crash. After all this din, the peace of the sunny trail, and the quiet sounds of birds and a running brook - the silence is almost deafening until we hear the sound of temple bells and other pilgrims conversing ahead.

     Nothing can really prepare you for the experience of Tibet Pilgrimage. These are the original sounds and authentic people you would encounter along the way, with nothing added or left out. It is a guided meditation without a spoken narrative, a journey of the mind, heart and spirit. It's awesome.

    Silmarillion, by New Age recording artist, Thusian, brings Tolkien's Middle World to life again, with a mystical and mysterious rebirth of the Three Rings, Narya, Nenya, and Vilya. It is said that whoever holds these rings can prevent the decay of time and delay all weariness. With music composed, arranged and produced by Thusian, a Slovakian, we explore three movements devoted to each of the Rings of Water, Fire, and Air, before the final movement, “Silmarillion.” This is New Age music in the truest sense: it's atmospheric, dramatic, visionary. It would be a powerful accompaniment for an initiation ritual (or tantric sex), as it conveys a sense of dynamic tension building to a climax. The music is primarily electronic, with percussion and some natural sounds. Thusian originally released this album in Europe, and he works as a composer for several groups, but other than that, he's new to me. Here's hoping we'll see more of this talented composer from the Slovakian Republic.

     Wild woman fiddler Bonnie Rideout stirs things up with Scottish Rant, featuring the world champion City of Washington Pipe Band. If you've been reading this column for long, you will have deduced that I'm a bit proud of the Scottish heritage in my family line. You'll know that I'm partial to bag pipes, too, which is an acquired taste akin to that of olives or Thai food! You either love 'em or not. Well, I love 'em and I'm not apologizing! If the “Congressional Reel Set” doesn't stir your blood and rouse you out of the doldrums, you're dead, in my opinion. This track combines two really old Irish dance tunes, “The Congress Reel” and “The Swallow Tailed Coat,” with a fiery drum break, “Captain Chops,” in the middle. The tempo is abruptly changed to a highly original rendition of “Amazing Grace” from Rideout's fiddle, which leads into a piped verse. I swear, every bagpipe cd or concert I've ever heard includes this old standard, and it never fails to raise the hair on the back of my neck. Though this disc includes marches, it is not as starchy as the Black Watch cd and video I reviewed recently. Instead it has more of the wild freedom and emotion I'd expect from a Scot. The City of Washington Pipe Band's sterling record includes winning First Place in the World Pipe Band Championships and the World Drum Corps Championships for Grade 2 in Glasgow, Scotland. Bonnie Rideout has appeared in the pages of Aquarius before, and she is known as one of the most “fiery” Scottish fiddlers of our time. If you've got a drop of wild Scots blood in your veins, get Scottish Rant. You won't regret it.