Rain Of Blessings: Vajra Chants

チベット仏教の高僧でブータン人のラマ・ギュルメと、盲目のフランス人キーボーディスト、ジャン・フィリップ・リキエルによるコラボ・アルバム!
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ダライ・ラマ14世の積極的な布教活動により、世界でも広く知られるようになったチベット仏教。そんなチベット仏教の高僧で、その素晴らしい喉でいわゆる「お経」を聞かせてくれるブータン人のラマ・ギュルメ。かつて『ラマの祈り』(1996年作)という作品を発売したこともある、人間の芯をあたためてくれるようなラマ・ギュルメの歌声と、ファッションデザイナー、ソニア・リキエルの息子であり盲目のキーボーディスト、ジャン・フィリップ・リキエルがシンセの伴奏をつけたアルバムが登場した。チベット仏教の声明+ヴァンゲリス風のシンセという組み合わせは不思議と心地良く、言葉は分からなくとも心を落ち着かせる不思議な効能を持っている。我々になにかを説得してくるようラマ・ギュルメの飾り気のないバリトン・ヴォイスは実に味わい深く、その詠唱はかなりメロディックで聴きやすい。そして程よいアンビエント感があるリキエルのシンセが広がりのある空間をつくりだしている。

The trend in the late '90s or so among new age musicians has been to adapt the devotional music of non-European cultures to make it more accessible, more palatable, if you will, to Western ears. For better or worse, this trend continues. The chants of Tibetan monasteries are admittedly a challenge for many Western listeners. While they have a stark beauty in their simple, repetitive, sub-basslines, most people don't pop them in the CD player for casual listening. This release is an apparent attempt to change that tendency. New age keyboardist Rykiel has added electronic arrangements to nine chants sung by Lama Gyurme. Unfortunately, the turgid washes of electronic sound, synth twinkles, and facile harmonies only serve to emphasize the disparity between the world of the Tibetan monk and that of the European synthesizer whiz. The unaffectedly folky melody of "Offering Chant" is all but drowned out by Rykiel's rumbly background sounds. The electric guitar-sounding solo and easy listening rhythm track do nothing to enhance the chant. "Medicine Buddha Mantra" doesn't fare much better. The plinky accompaniment smacks of the outdated stereotypical way Western composers used to interpret Asian music. While the accompaniment on some of the other tracks is subtler and a little less intrusive, most of Rykiel's attempts at "prettying up" these chants are misguided at best. ~ Peggy Latkovich|

The trend in the late '90s or so among new age musicians has been to adapt the devotional music of non-European cultures to make it more accessible, more palatable, if you will, to Western ears. For better or worse, this trend continues. The chants of Tibetan monasteries are admittedly a challenge for many Western listeners. While they have a stark beauty in their simple, repetitive, sub-basslines, most people don't pop them in the CD player for casual listening. This release is an apparent attempt to change that tendency. New age keyboardist Rykiel has added electronic arrangements to nine chants sung by Lama Gyurme. Unfortunately, the turgid washes of electronic sound, synth twinkles, and facile harmonies only serve to emphasize the disparity between the world of the Tibetan monk and that of the European synthesizer whiz. The unaffectedly folky melody of "Offering Chant" is all but drowned out by Rykiel's rumbly background sounds. The electric guitar-sounding solo and easy listening rhythm track do nothing to enhance the chant. "Medicine Buddha Mantra" doesn't fare much better. The plinky accompaniment smacks of the outdated stereotypical way Western composers used to interpret Asian music. While the accompaniment on some of the other tracks is subtler and a little less intrusive, most of Rykiel's attempts at "prettying up" these chants are misguided at best. ~ Peggy Latkovich