The Whole Music Experience

Photo: By Daniel Sheehan WM The Samba Effect--Conversation with Brazilian Musician Jovino Santos Neto I discovered the healing effects of Brazilian music, samba in particular back in the early 1990s when I began listening to Astrud Gilberto classics. Even though I was not aware of the healing elements of music, I noticed that my spirits lifted every time I listened to a "best of" recording by the Brazilian chanteuse. Years later I discovered Joyce, Monica Salmaso, Jovino Santos Neto and Virginia Rodrigues among other Brazilian artists. Again, I felt that spiritual lift even in times of great darkness and despair. I did not wish to dissect the music--equal parts polyrhythms hailing from Africa, soaring melodies from Europe, etc... Then shortly after that, Masaru Emoto provided us with a water crystal of a Brazilian samba and earlier still, Don Campbell mentioned in his text, The Mozart Effect that he found the samba most healing. Although opportunities abound to s...

Bob Marley & The Wailers Exodus Island Records Cesaria Evora Sao Vicente Windham Hill Records/BMG Spring in the Pacific Northwest usually consists of two sunny days followed by a week or two of clouds, rain and wind. And if that is not enough to lower a person's spirit, then add the darkness of an economy that wreaks of a divide and conquer mentality--not to mention perpetuates more fear on the planet. I decided to empower myself. I took up Kundalini yoga as a practice and I found powerful recordings at my local library. Starting with the classic Bob Marley & The Wailer's recording, Exodus (Movement of Jah People) . I have been listening to this recording while performing the yoga exercises. The line, "Are you satisfied with the life you're living?" strikes home with me. The answer is "No, I am not satisfied and I won't be until we all learn to live more harmoniously on the planet." Do I want to be freed from the darkness and grie...

WM From the Heart of the African Bush: Conversation with Samite Mulondo Other journalists besides me have felt the soothing lullabies of Ugandan multi-instrumentalist Samite Mulondo. The storyteller -musician-humanitarian takes his audiences on journeys to the African bush and also deep into the human heart. Listening to his recordings provide an intimate musical experience and seeing Samite in concert provides a different type of emotional experience that opens eyes, ears and hearts. I first came across Samite when I was seeking African recordings to review for my former website, Cranky Crow World Music. Tunula Eno landed in my mailbox and as I listened to a beautiful set of songs I traveled through a gamut of emotions, from sweet humor to grief (the CD was dedicated to his wife who died from brain cancer). A few years later, another Samite CD came my way—his seventh album, Embalasasa , named after a beautiful, yet poisonous lizard. According to Samite, today the pois...