RAINFOREST AWAKENING

DESCRIPTION

1. INVOCATION (2:43)
Robert/conch shell, Gerardo/shark skin drum, rattles,vocals

An invocation into the forest atmosphere with the sounds of nature,
the calling of the conch shell, the breath and the drum.

2. INITIATION (5:19)
Gerardo/turtle rattle, caxixi, marimba, nose flute, bamboo flute, frame drum, bongo, vocals

An exotic polyrhythmic piece with a combination of different
time signatures. It is night time, the shaman leads a ceremony of followers from the profane world of everyday life into the sacred world of the spirit. An Indian stands in his canoe, gently, silently moving down stream, his hand raised looking into the distance.

3. BRAZIL (6:48)
Jan/djembey and congas, Gerardo/guitar, keyboard, bell, shakers,drum programming

A fluid acoustic guitar solo floating on top of a steady Brazilian groove with a melancholy string melody. Picture a group of women dressed in white on the beach with palm trees and a heavenly sunset. They create a circular ritual, earth mother’s dance.

4. LIVE (7:56)
Jan/djembey, congas, and drum set; Frank/steel drums; Robert/flute; Gerardo: keyboards and programming

A strong driving groove and sense of vast spaciousness combined. Flowing steel drum and conga solos like sparkling lights of the suns reflections dancing on the waves, flowing steel drum and conga solos. Lush green mountains with many waterfalls pouring from their misty cliffs beautiful rainbows and birds gliding through the sky.

5. ODYSSEY (5:51)
Robert: ocarina; Gerardo: keyboards, caxixi, and chimes;
Carlinhos:birds sounds, caxixi, and wood block

The healing energy of sunlight, sand and sea caressing body ,
spirit and mind . Look up what do you see? Sky is blue, clouds are white. Rollicking marimba waves move down as ocarina of the winds rise on high.

6. THE JOURNEY (10:16)
Robert: flute; Gerardo: keyboards, percussion, vocals and drum programming

This is a piece where everything is shaking, rattling and vibrating continually. Like the sound of stones at the bottom of a river caught in an eternal dance of shifting positions. We are again in the dense forest atmosphere going from a meditative spaciousness into a driving 6/8 rhythm, with thunder, lightning and shape shifting bird calls.Cathartic metamorphosis, the soul as witness experiences the greater forces.

7. PROCESSION (4:25)
Gerardo: frame drum, bongo, marimbas, caxixi, turtle rattle, vocals, and nose flute

The tribe has a joyous village celebration with spirit cries and dancing. Multiple polyrhythmic phrases weave in and out as we journey around the sacred tribal circle.

8. OFFERING (7:49)
Marina: vocals; Gerardo: vocals, keyboards, caxixi, bells, shakers, rattles, rain stick, talking drum and drum programming

Multiple talking tongues bring us into a piece with a strong groove, textural percussion, synth/violin leads and a fiery African talking drum.

9. INTERLUDE (5:24)
Jan: drums; Robert: flute; Gerardo: keyboards; Carlinhos: caxixi and triangle

Majestic and intense like a night in a tropical storm at sea, with high waves and strong gusts of wind.

10. SERENADE FOR THE QUIET ONE WHO LISTEN (4:30)
Gerardo: guitar

The calm after the storm. The trees , plants and earth are renewed and refreshed.The cycles of life go on as does the music of nature.

THE STORY

Rainforest Awakening marked my debut as an independent artist. It was recorded over two years, starting in 1990, and was initially released in 1992. The recording is primarily instrumental, with vocal interludes and nature sounds interwoven into a musical tapestry. During those years, I was playing with The North American Bush Band, an Afro-American funk and jazz band based in Honolulu. But I always continued to write music and began to discover my own sound.

When I felt I had established a clear path, I got together a little money and went into the studio for a midnight session (cheaper!). Of course, I couldn't finish the job in one night, and I had now run out of money and time. However, I was in luck, because the engineer, Akio Ueda, had an ear for my music and offered me a deal. He would let me record during off-peak hours, in exchange for part of the proceeds from the album. This was a great gift and renewed my sense of confidence and hope.

I kept bringing musicians into the studio and continued to overdub my own playing. But all this took time, and finally, due to his own circumstances, Akio couldn't afford to give me any more time. Just then, though, my girlfriend at that time arranged for me to meet a producer who was passing through town. As it turned out, he was looking for someone to create a soundtrack for a film he planned to do on the rainforest. His name was Loren Lewisohn, and the more we talked the more I began to feel in tune with his vision. After listening to the studio recordings and other pieces I'd put together on a tape recorder, he decided to finance completion and initial marketing of the project and wrote a script for the musical journey that he wanted to accompany the film.

We gave the project the working title of The Shaman's Journey. The script gave me what I needed: a map with directions and boundaries to complete my work. Loren's financial contribution gave me freedom to give my full attention to the music. He worked closely with me to select the pieces that were finally included on the recording. Although the film itself was never completed, Loren's vision of it combined perfectly with my musical vision to transport the listeners to another reality.