River Of The Soul
"We've got to roll with the sun, there's a direction we can run,
some inner river of the soul," declare the lyrics that so fittingly
flow through "River Of The Soul," the title track to the long
overdue debut album by yogi and musician, Danny Paradise. Originally from
Toronto, Paradise has spent the last 20 years traveling "a luminous
path" around the globe. A world renowned and esteemed teacher of
Ashtanga Yoga, Danny has built an international following of students
that includes Sting, Madonna, Paul Simon, Eddie Vedder, Mickey Hart and
Bob Weir. While not eschewing the virtues of yoga, Danny is picking melodies
out of the atmosphere on his nylon string guitar. Paradise has been a
professional musician since the early 1970s, having performed throughout
North America, Europe, Brazil, India, Nepal, Israel, Egypt, Taiwan, Indonesia
and Thailand. River Of The Soul, to be released September 26th on Mesa/Bluemoon
Recordings,
reflects a lifetime of experiences roaming the world, and in its whole
becomes the reflections of a wandering 21st century yogi and troubadour.
Growing up, Danny was a devoted listener to a variety of acoustic folk and blues singers, including Woody Guthrie, Taj Mahal, Cat Stevens and James Taylor, as well as the lush pop arrangements and exotic instrumentation of classic records by The Beatles. Although River Of The Soul delves deep into melodies inspired by his travels through Nepal, Indonesia, Burma and Thailand, Danny incorporates a myriad of these Western pop influences within his songwriting. His guitar playing, additionally, has its roots in the rhythmic music of Brazil, such as that on "Ye Rising Stars."
True to Danny's lifestyle, River Of The Soul was recorded in remote locations
all over the world. While teaching yoga in Nepal, Danny was introduced
to members of the revered musical groups Karma and Prastar, with whom
he eventually recorded six of the album's songs. "They are the best
players in Nepal. They've all been playing together since they were kids,"
Paradise explains. "They had only played with one other western musician
before, the mandolin player Peter Rowan, who had traveled through Nepal
the previous year." Danny's Nepalese cohorts blend exotic strains
of flowing flute and violin lines with pulsing tablas and shimmering sitar.
The
music meanders in an organic, rambling style that provides the perfect
backdrop for Danny's narrative prayer-like poems and lyrics. "They're
used to playing Eastern scales or ragas, but they picked up my songs so
fast," Paradise continues. An example of this unique chemistry is
captured on "At The Conference Of The Birds."
Ultimately Danny and the musicians of Karma and Prastar recorded his
songs "live" in the studio, giving the album a fresh spontaneous
feel while capturing the spirit of the moment. "We only had a few
mikes and there were power failures all the time," Paradise recalled
with a laugh. "By the second or third take they had it. I just let
them do their thing. They were improvising most of the time. We were very
tuned into each other." This collective approach to the music on
River of the Soul at times recalls Van Morrison's classic album Astral
Weeks.
Two other songs on the disc, "Bedouin Dream" and "Freedom
Fighters" were recorded in Cairo, Egypt with multi-instrumentalist
Dominick Miller, who has worked with Sting for the past eleven years.
Danny met Dominick while performing at a club in London. These songs feature
the oud (an Arabic lute), adding the mystical realm of North Africa into
the musical palate of River of the Soul.
On the track "Searching For The Holy Grail," Danny's longtime
yoga apprentice Sting makes a guest vocal appearance, harmonizing beautifully
with Danny on the refrain: "Let the wind fill your sails, and then
you must sail on, sail on, sail on."
Lyrically, Danny draws from many of the principles he has built his life
around, including those within his yoga teachings. They embrace spirituality,
love of nature, the religious philosophies of North and South American
Native Indian traditions, as well as Eastern religion and philosophies.
Danny also sites the great 13th century mystical Sufi poet Rumi as a
major influence on his lyrics. On two occasions, "In Search of the
Dream People" and "Ye Rising Stars," he adapted the timeless
verses of "the Shakespeare of the Mid-East" to his nylon string
guitar. Although Danny's verses have a particularly spiritual flavor,
he shows a sharp tongue-in-cheek wit on "Now that the Shamans Have
Planes," which is supported by gorgeous harmony vocals from Paul
Simon and Edie Brickell.
While "world beat" has become a popular trend in recent years,
Danny Paradise actually lives the source of his inspiration. Rather than
create a pastiche in some digital studio in New York or LA, he records
with third world musicians in studios in Nepal and Egypt. "I went
around the world when I was a kid and ever since I've been going back.
I've been exploring Asia for over twenty-five years. I was shocked by
the differences in the east and the west. I love the atmosphere in Indonesia
and Bali. I'm from the west but I enjoy other cultures more. It's more
interesting to me. Everything is very alive and happening on the streets
in Asia. In teaching Ashtanga Yoga I've been able to work wherever I go.
I've hung out in the Amazon and taught yoga in remote regions of Brazil.
I like to become part of the community and meet people rather than travel
as a tourist," Paradise concludes.
Danny's concern for the human condition, often encountered in third world
countries, is reflected by donating a portion of the album's sales to
Witness, an organization that provides video cameras to document human
rights abuses around the world. "I want to give something back to
the wonderful people of these remote lands who are often not granted the
same rights as people in more developed countries. Witness is playing
an important role in furthering human rights. I'm glad I can contribute
in some way."
The message of River of the Soul comes across soft but clear - like a haiku telegram from the Himalayas. Wherever we go on this earth, Danny Paradise reminds us to stay "Flexible."
"Stay flexible with room to spare
Stretch from here to anywhere
Change direction like nobody knows
Follow that wind wherever she blows."
For more information on Danny Paradise, promotional copies and/or interview
requests, please contact Kevin Calabro at:
PDSE Records, Inc. (212)590-2164 or MesaBluemoon@aol.com
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