Originally conceived by Amani Friend’s mother, ecstatic trance healer Bente Darma Friend, as a visionary spirit journey through the chakras of the body, this guided meditation voyage translates the cycle of energy centers into a richly resonant tapestry of sound.
Amani Friend (of Desert Dwellers) and Rara Avis collaborated together on the production of this album, along with such artists as Native American flute maestro Robert Mirabal and vocalist Sarah West, composing a multi-layered mosaic that includes overtone chanting, ethereal singing, shamanic invocations and natural atmospheres. In 2012, Amani met sacred performance artist Ixchel Prisma, and over the next two years they created the album Heart of the Shamans --utilizing the finely tuned arrangements of The Face of Love as the primary foundation for Ixchel’s ceremonial medicine songs.
Following this year’s release of Heart of the Shamans, here is the original version of The Face of Love, combining its enchanting musical palette with poetic healing guidance and body postures for each track’s corresponding chakra. Each phase of this cycle is a mirror for our soul, unfolding unique, spontaneous, ever-changing visions and insights.
released October 2, 2015
Sound Alchemists
Amani Friend - overall production, sound design, composition, pads, didgeridoo, percussion, shakers, jaw’s harp, nature recordings, gongs
Rara Avis - Production, pads, deep mantra chants, overtone singing, spoken word
Sarah West - angelic vocals and tones, spoken word
Robert Mirabal - Native American flutes, spoken word
Aum Prakash - whistles, charango, mantras, jaw’s harp
Bente Darma Friend - spoken word
Domonic Dean Breaux - silver flute
Steve Landsberg - surbahar and tamboura
James Cunané - shamanic smoke breath
David Dunn - nature recording of pond insects
Album Production
Album produced by Amani Friend & Rara Avis
Spoken Word, album intention and text written by Bente Darma Friend
Artwork for cover by Amanda Sage
Graphic design and packaging layout by Amani Friend (
www.gobaldragon.com)
Produced, Mixed and Mastered at Global Dragon Studio (Santa Fe, NM)
© & (P) Global Dragon 2014 (ASCAP)
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the talented musicians and vocalists who have contributed their masterful art to this project. Deepest bows of respect to the lineage holders and ancient wisdom carriers of the traditional cultures that are woven into the fabric of this collaboration. Thank you to Vajra for allowing us to use his amazing artwork for the cover design, to our White Swan family for always supporting such medicinal music, and to Craig Kohland of Shamans Dream for his support and friendship over the years.
A portion of all proceeds from this album and from Shaman's Eye will be given to the Paititi Institute (
www.paititi-institute.org)