Gathering of Shamen

For millennia, shamans have made regular journeys to geographical "power sites" to commune with spirit beings, receive guidance through visions, and perform ritual ceremonies of healing and renewal on behalf of their tribal communities. This new offering by The Native Flute Ensemble, which includes Jessita Reyes as one of its members, reflects upon three such "power sites" where medicine people gather — the Black Hills, Canyon de Chelly, and Atitlan in Guatemala. Some tracks impart the spaciousness of open mesas where thunder beings dance in the skies above huge rock formations and impart their life-giving gift of rain. Others depict the solitude of remote vision-quest sites sacred to Sioux tribes or mysterious ancient ruins. Spotlighting the delicate voice of the cedar flute, The Ensemble deploys its sizable arsenal of assorted percussion as well as its trademark use of droning and shimmering synthesizers. ~ Backroads Music/Heartbeats, Rovi