Big Desert Sky, by Chaparral Kirtan Band

Big Desert Sky

by Chaparral Kirtan Band

	/

Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

$8 USD or more

1.	Big Desert Sky 03:48	lyrics	buy track
~Big Desert Sky~ The big desert sky is the same sky I spoke to as a child And the stars how they shine And the wind whispers sweetly Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ ॐ मणिपद्मे हूँ
2.	Lay Your Heartache Down (White Tara Mantra) 08:12	lyrics	buy track
~Lay Your Heartache Down~ If you lay your walls down tonight And let me take you in my arms Iʼll show you the other side of life That youʼve been thinking on Itʼs always been here  On the other side of your fear  Thereʼs a place where you can lay Your heartache down If you lay your walls down tonight And let me see you as you are  Iʼll show you the other side of life In the shelter of my heart Itʼs always been here On the other side of your fear Thereʼs a place where you can lay Your heartache down But it takes a little time  To make your way past the fear And find the place where you can lay Your heartache down ~White Tara Mantra~ Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Mama āyuḥ-Puṇya Jñāna-Puṣṭiṃ Kuru Sohā ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Sohā
3.	The Wind (Peace Mantra) 08:21	lyrics	buy track
~The Wind~ I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul Where I'll end up well I think only God really knows I sat upon the setting sun but never, never, never I never wanted water once, no never, never, never I listen to my words but they fall far below I let my music take me where my heart wants to go I swam across the devil's lake but never, never, never I'll never make the same mistake, no never, never, never ~Peace Mantra~ Om asato ma sadgamaya Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya Mrtyorma amrtam gamaya May we be filled with the light of love Om shanti shanti shanti om Translation: Lead me from the asat to the sat (truth). Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to immortality May we be filled with the light of love Om peace peace peace
4.	All the Light You Give 03:31	lyrics	buy track
~All The Light You Give~ All the light you give settles into skin Shimmers in the place I'm standing And all the light you give I give it back to you Let me be your river running deep Let me be the darkness when you sleep Let me be your sky of silver rain Let me be the ground where you stand All the light you give settles into skin Shimmers in the place I'm standing And all the light you give I give it back to you again
5.	Maha Mantra 05:47	lyrics	buy track
~Maha Mantra~ Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
6.	When You Rise 01:35	lyrics	buy track
~When You Rise~ When you rise I hope you see All the colors in the sky And you know You're the heart inside the sea
7.	The Great Healing (Medicine Buddha Mantra) 06:01	lyrics	buy track
~Blue Medicine Buddha Mantra~ TAYATA / OM BEKANDZE BEKANDZE / MAHA BEKANDZE / RADZA SAMUDGATE SOHA
8.	Sri Ma 09:00	lyrics	buy track
~Sri Ma~ Sri Ma Jay Ma Jay Jay Ma Om Namah Om Namah Mother I know you by the stars Through the darkest night Your love lights my heart

about

Chaparral Kirtan Band is a devotional music project directed by Gabrielle Pietrangelo, featuring a changing constellation of Arizona-based musicians. The group's debut album ‘Big Desert Sky’ was recorded between 2018-2021 at Waterworks Recording Studio in Tucson, AZ. The arrangements were developed at Tucson Yoga's seasonal Kirtan events where Pietrangelo is a long-time yoga teacher. The album's recording ensemble features violinist Beth Daunis, along with founding member Bradford Trojan, Matt Moon Nelson, Kasey Gopal and Hadji Banjovi, who toured the southwest with Pietrangelo in 2018.

'Big Desert Sky' moves through tender solo pieces and group arrangements, highlighting Pietrangelo’s ethereal lead vocal and the sonorous response voices of Bradford Trojan and Kasey Gopal. A gem in the album's sound is found in the unique quality of Hadji Banjovi's arco banjo. Matt Nelson's Hindustani percussion, the use of harmonium and the interweaving of Sanskrit mantra keep the music rooted in a Kirtan flavor. But 'Big Desert Sky' is not a traditional Kirtan album. Although it pays homage to call and response singing, the album draws from indie-folk, offering devotional love songs that aspire to invoke the open sky where the music was created.

The group's name 'Chaparral,' another name for creosote, is inspired by the plentiful desert shrub that fills the Tucson basin with a heavenly scent when it rains. “It smells like coming home,” says Pietrangelo. She hopes 'Big Desert Sky' will be a comfort to those who listen. “It was a heart opening experience writing and recording these songs with Chaparral Kirtan Band and having Beth Daunis add her magic. I hope it contributes to the healing and goodness we need in the world right now.”

Many thanks to sound engineer Jim Waters, who captured the band's live performances, and in collaboration with Pietrangelo, embellished and produced the tracks with care. Special thanks to the Kirtan community of Southern Arizona who helped make this album possible.

credits

released July 18, 2021

MUSICIAN CREDITS:
Gabrielle Pietrangelo: vocals, guitar, harmonium, percussion, piano
Beth Daunis: vocals, violin
Bradford Trojan: vocals, guitar, bass
Matt Moon Nelson: tabla, frame drum, udus
Kasey Gopal: vocals, harmonium
Hadji Banjovi: vocals, banjo
~Guest response singers on Sri Ma~
Julia Waters, Pat Waters, Mariposa Rain Nelson

ALBUM CREDITS:
Cover art by Gavin Hugh Troy
Produced by Gabrielle Pietrangelo and Jim Waters
Sound and mixing engineer: Jim Waters
Mastering engineer: Jim Blackwood at AZPM
All songs written and arranged by Gabrielle Pietrangelo (BMI)
Bucket in the Well (BMI)
*With the exception track 3 (The Wind by Cat Stevens)

license

about

Chaparral Kirtan Band Tucson, Arizona

Chaparral Kirtan Band offers a devotional musical experience inspired by the wide sky and open desert of Southern Arizona. Their music is a heart centered exchange between female and male voices, accompanied by ethereal bowed-banjo, violin, tabla, harmonium and guitar. The group is led by Gabrielle Pietrangelo and performs seasonal devotional concerts in Arizona. ... more