Happy Maha Shivaratri! Here's my track "Om Namah Shivaya/Holder of the Moon

Happy Maha Shivaratri! 

It's a beautiful day to celebrate the union of Shiva/Shakti, the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine. It's also a great time to integrate those aspects of ourselves that we think of as "opposites." Think union, not separation. And love everything. And chant Om Namah Shivaya as much as you can during this auspicious time.

Here's track 2 ("Om Namah Shivaya/Holder of the Moon) from my new album BEYOND THE BEYOND: A MANTRA MUSIC EXPERIENCE. 

 

https://soundcloud.com/lee-mirabai-harrington/02-om-namah-shivaya-holder-of-the-moon?in=lee-mirabai-harrington/sets/beyond-the-beyond-a-mantra-music-experience

 

 

There's a long story behind the title, and behind the music and melody for this mantra, which you can read in my liner notes. 

 

 http://leeharringtonmantramusic.com/beyond-the-beyond-2/

 

This track features an amazing ensemble of maestros in the kirtan world: the incomparable #CCWhite on backing vocals, #StevePostell on electric guitar, #WynneParis and #AnthonyMolina on additional acoustic and electric guitars, (Anthony also plays piano, percussion and more); #HollyMontgomery (my idol) on bass guitar and #AndyHamburger on kit drums (channeling his inner #KeithMoon). The elegant and talented #JohnMCDowell plays Hammond organ and African drums. Internationally reknowned sound healer #PhilippeGarnier sings the intro and plays the Sruti box, crystal bowls, chimes, and overtones. Response chorus includes sweet devis Eileen O'Hare and Cat Guthrie of #Blissing. Produced with my beloved bhakti brothers #GauraVani (who also came up with the great song title and got this big ball rolling) and #AnthonyMolina (who held things together as the ball kept rolling). I love you all!

#spiritvoyage #beyondthebeyond #mantramusic #kirtannewreleases #omnamahshivaya #musicforshivaratri #shivashakti

Monks playing kit drums in my dreams...

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I always have interesting dreams after White Tantric Yoga and the 3HO Winter Solstice retreat. I also usually have interesting dreams around the time of the full moon. This year it was a double whammy, with the full moon occurring just after the solstice. Before I get to the dream: in my waking life I have been a bit worried, off and on, about the intensity of the drums—that would be the full-kit drums—on one of the tracks on my kirtan album‪ #‎BeyondTheBeyond‬, which launches on 2/5/16. The track is “Om Namah Shivaya and the drums, at times, sound a bit Keith Moon. There is a longer story behind that (which will eventually be up on the website), and I should state here that I adore ‪#‎KeithMoon‬ and his frenetic, masterful drumming and the constant fills. But does a Moonie belong on a kirtan CD? That’s what my worry-mind sometimes wonders (until my wiser mind reminds the worry-mind to let things be). So imagine my delight when I dreamed that one of the younger Khenpos at the monastery where I practice was playing a full drum kit during an intense Buddhist puja. He was whaling away on the drums and having a blast, and the puja was as powerful as ever. This confirmed to me something we all know but continually forget. That every sound is sacred as long as the intention is there to make it sacred. I felt that Khenpo was reminding me that the “Om Namah Shivaya” track was blessed. Is blessed. And all is well, well, well. 
‪#‎3HO‬ ‪#‎3HOWinterSolstice‬ ‪#‎WhiteTantricYoga‬ ‪#‎dreams‬ #beyondthebeyond ‪#‎spiritvoyagerecords‬

My new Indiegogo Campaign Music Video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5CV2GYEfg0

We finally uploaded a "sneak preview" audio file to the "Beyond the Beyond" campaign page: the track "Om Mani Peme Hum." Featured vocalists are Lama Karma Drodul and Lama Karma Thendup of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra monastery in Woodstock, NY--which is HH Karmapa's North American seat. These beloved lamas open the song with the "Prayer of Praise to Chenrezig" and then Chenrezig's mantra (Om Mani Peme Hum), singing the melody written by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa himself. May all beings benefit from the sacred vibrations of this mantra! 

Anyone who contributes to our Indiegogo campaign will receive a free download of this track--when it's officially mixed and mastered and ready to release, of course. For details, visit:
http://igg.me/at/LeeMirabaiHarrington

This track--and the entire CD--has been a real labor of love. Other featured musicians are: Steve Gorn on soprono sax, Hans Christian on strings, Irene Soléa Antonellis and Satya-Franche Carlson Straus on response vocals, Anthony Molina and Wynne Ji Paris on guitar, (Anthony also plays on more instruments than I can count), Radha Gopinath Das Marinelli on tablas, Holly Montgomery on bass, Andy Hamburger on drums, Steve Bloom on percussion, and myself (surprise, surprise!) on harmonium.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5CV2GYEfg0