I was inspired by the birth of my son to compose this music. The fact of becoming a dad and being responsible for someone else as well as learning life from him in the same way that a student learns from his master, was and is a very humbling experience that led in a way to this sound.
The main focus was to create something as contemplative and introspective as the state of mind I was in while composing. I like to see that period of time as a kind of pilgrimage.
The text that follows is a vision of that imaginary pilgrimage towards a sacred place and at the same time making a journey within oneself to discover something similar. That album is the soundtrack of that story.
Kailasha. A Sanskrit term that was given to a mountain in the chain of the Himalayas.
In Sanskrit this term means Crystal. In Tibetan it is called Gang Rinpoche which means "jewels of snow". It is shaped like a pyramid and represents for Hindus and Buddhists the axis of the world, the backbone of the universe as a divine pyramid.
There are many legends and mysteries about this place, which enhances the charisma of this mountain.
Kailasha or Gang Rinpoche for Tibetans can also be translated as "guru mountain", because of its acting as a teacher for those who have ears for it. A legend says that the mere fact of approaching this mountain would have an aging effect on human beings.
Throughout history, the valleys and caves of Kailash have hosted many Indian and Tibetan hermits and yogis like Milarepa; A figure who spent 10 years in a cave near Kailash, feeding himself only on fresh water and nettle.
The legend tells that during his meditation Milarepa, was disturbed by a horde of terrifying demons. He tried to chase them away with magic and prayer. But that didn’t change anything, as the demons made fun of him.
He then remembers that “all appearances are projections of the mind”. Considering them as external to him was just an illusion. Overcoming his fear, he accepted their presence and said to them: "If you want my body, I will offer it to you, life is transitory" This attitude of deep compassion soothed the demons who suddenly disappeared.
It is very difficult to get to this mountain because of its isolation and the journey to reach it is already considered a pilgrimage, an initiation path to which you are never certain to arrive or come back from it. Everything could be about Karma, or letting go.
The great Tibetan masters tell us that on this mountain, there is a secret door that connects this world to the whole universe and that each vow pledged or made in this place will resonate beyond space and time. This mountain has always been a source of dreams, even fantasy ... Some surprising theories have recently appeared.
According to some people, Mount Kailash is a gigantic pyramid hiding a city-monastery. For others, the door to Shambhala. For several millennia Mount Kailash remains an object of fascination.
In Sanskrit Shambhala means "place of peace" or "place of rest". It refers to a mythical country evoked by ancient texts such as Kalachakra tantra and the ancient texts of the Zhang Zhung tradition, which preceded Tibetan Buddhism.
In Buddhist mythology Shambhala is a depository of the Kalachakra teaching which was transmitted by the Buddha at the request of King Suchandra. According to the 14th Dalai Lama it is a pure land that cannot be located on a map. And only those who have acquired the proper Karma have access to it.
In many traditions this country is mentioned under different names.
Hindus call it Aryvartha, Land of Merit.
The Chinese know it as Hsi Tien, the Paradise of the West.
And for Russians under the name of Belovoyde.
The text of Tantra Kalachakra illustrates Shambhalla under 3 different levels:
1 - the physical level (as the body of a physical person)
2 - the inner level (we understand this level as the spirit of a person)
3 - the alternative level (we could interpret this level as the meditative state of a human being)
The concept of Shambhala prophesies the gradual deterioration of humanity as the ideology of materialism spreads around the world. And then comes the confrontation of the king of Shambhala against the dark forces.
These dark forces could be interpreted as inner disturbances as well, and this war of Kalachakra tantra could refer to our inner struggle to find answers in our life.
Here we are in the centre of this mountain, in the centre of oneself.
Alone with our beliefs, values and principles, while perhaps some of them no longer make sense anymore.
Revered saxophonist enlists UK jazz heavyweights old and new for this ever-shifting collaborative endeavor, recorded during lockdown. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 24, 2021
