Chants according to… by Rao & Leonardo (2012, released 2020)
— This is a free album. Use the download button above, fill in zero, check out and you are ready to get it–
Chants according to…
For many years we chanted Mantras during Yoga classes that were conducted by Rao; the easy short ones that we, western people,were able to learn. Once we tried to do a long Vedic Peace Mantra, but we abandened the project and returned to our familiar chants.
Some years ago I got the idea to make recordings of the Mantras and Slokas, just to keep the memory of their melody and rythm, as well as their pronounciation. Along with that I had the wish to ‘do something with them musically’. At that point I didn’t know how to. As producer/musician I did some projects that led me into a new direction. Then I remembered the Mantras and things fell in place. We arranged for recordings in my studio and did two sessions for vocals. The process of making the music was one of catching the moment. Mostly I started with some kind of drone, and soon ideas would come, that made me pick up certain instruments, and play along. It was all very leisurely, and the music didnt take long to reveal itself.
For this private project I use of many different instruments. It gives the music a sparkling quality and makes it free flowing and organic. The result is not a ‘traditional’ way of instrumentating Mantras nor is it ‘New Age’. It’s Mantra like you’ve never heard before!
Rao has been of great help chanting traditional Mantras and Slokas from the Bhagavad Geetha and Upanishads. But also in providing translations and notes. There are so many Mantras and different ways of chanting. The same Mantra can be sung with a different rythm and melody, according to different traditions. It was our aim to represent the chanting in a traditional way, the way it has been taught Rao in India…
So enjoy our beautiful creation, that is rooted in OM!
There are 20 bonus tracks; the vocal recordings without music. The album comes with an 8 page booklet with lyrics and translations. Also included is a pdf for printing the Mantras and Slokas on A4.
1 Śuklāmbara dharam
2 Vidyā-rambhē
4 Sadyojatham
5 Om Namah Shivaya
6 Aham vaiswānarō
7 Brahmārpanam
8 Gayatri 1
9 Karma nyè
10 Ahamāthmā
11 Ātmānam
12 Deepam
13 Samam kāya
14 Gayatri II
15 OM
16 Maharshinām
17 Samno-mithrah
18 Poornamadah
19 Om asato ma
20 Sarvē bhavanthu
Rao received his training as a Yoga teacher from Kaivalyadhama Yoga Research Centre at Lonavla near Bombay, India. At this centre traditional Yoga techniques are researched and refined in the light of modern science.
He also studied Vedanta philosophy and Vedic chants in Swami Chinmayananda’s Ashram for 2 years.
He has taught yoga for over 40 years, including 8 years with the Kaivalyadhama Yoga Research Centre at Lonavla, 7 years at the Kaivalyadhama Yoga Health Centre, Bombay, and 10 years at Rishi Valley School (J. Krishnamurti Foundation, India).
Since 1990 he has been working independently conducting Yoga training programmes, therapy workshops and meditation sessions in Europe, as well as in India.
A number of his articles on Yoga dealing with such problems as hypertension, spinal ailments, digestive disorders, heart attacks, asthma, diabetes, etc., have been published in India and the U.K.
‘There is a wealth of what can be shared and learned such as philosophy, advanced Yoga techniques, Surya-namaskaras with traditional names, meditation, India’s vegetarian cooking according to the principles of Ayurveda, considering nutrition and health, or just listening to Indian classical music or learning about India’s culture, listening to J. Krishnamurti’s videos and other allied subjects.’
Rao passed away on the 24th of januari, 2020. He promoted Yoga, meditation, Indian philosophy and culture without any commercial motive. This free release is in his memory.
His website has been dissolved for some reason. I intend to build a new one.
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A Drop in the Ocean – Lhamo Dukpa (2013)
I made electronic arrangements for two songs on this album (Baza Guru).
It is music for meditation, deeply rooted in the Bhuddist tradition of the Kingdom of Bhutan. The songs are sung by the famous singer Lhamo Dukpa
More info here