I Hear You, Mother Earth

Shervin’s new 12-track album, “I Hear You, Mother Earth,” contains a timely message of coming home to music as medicine from our natural world. Please view the promo video here: youtu.be/-QG2FmJRdZ4. This video and the opening track Medicine Song both won awards at the World Peace Song Awards.

“I Hear You, Mother Earth,” produced by Ric Peet (UK), contains 66 minutes of “medicine” songs. These songs feature acoustic instruments used for sound healing from every corner of the globe, almost all of which are presented by Shervin.

Traditional Bali-style voice and instruments are shared from Bali presenter, Gede Artha (Partha), on four of the album’s 12 tracks with Shervin bringing his smooth, delicate, and often mesmerizing vocals to 6 tracks while singing in five different languages.

Listeners familiar with Shervin’s signature Sound Medicine journeys will recognize this album as a supercharged studio version of those improvised natural sound and live music presentations, with 4 instrumental tracks also contained.

The album is more than a medicine music collection however, as it also contains nature recordings and pays homage to Balinese ceremonial chants and sounds. Balinese culture professes respect for nature. An underlyingphilosophy of “Tri-Hita Kerana” means harmony with nature, harmony with humanity, and harmony with the unseen divine world, beautifully ties in with the album’s theme.

Album Notes

Below is the “I Hear You, Mother Earth: Planetary Medicine Music” tracklisting, along with each track’s primary instruments, and Shervin’s notes:

1. The Medicine Song, (Triyam Bakham/ Rudra Mantra- Sanskrit):
Triyam Bakham Yaja Mahe is the Sanskrit medicine mantra from India, which is shared for good health and victory over death and disease.

2. Opening, (Balinese Chant) ft. Gede Artha:
An authentic opening chant from the Balinese tradition, which calls on nature and asks for forgiveness for all the abundance that humanity uses from her.

3. Earth Element, (Aboriginal Didgeridoo):
Didgeridoo, shaman drum, bongos, rattles, Bali Gong and Symphonic gong are among the instruments shared on this track.

4. Water Element, (Yoruban: Afro- South American “Oshun chant”):
A Medicine Song honoring Oshun– “Ay Ay Oshun, Oromima Oromimayo, Yabado A Yeh Yeh-o” The words and main melody are from this traditional Yoruban song honor the rivers and waterways of the planet, which, according to the Yoruban tradition, are linked to the Goddess Oshun. Thank you Joseph “Pepe” Danza for teaching me this magical melody. I play handpan and kalimba blended with several ocean and water sounds and instruments on this track.

5. Wood Element, (Amazonian “Icaro”):
This contains an Amazonian Icaro, which is a powerful and positive healing invocation. The translation of this medicine song set to an original melody and music is: “The Great Steamboat of the wind is coming. From the end of the Cosmos it comes, it comes like this; All kinds of magical healers come from inside it, also faeries and doctors, from strange cities in space, strong healers are coming.” ~from Piers Vitebsky’sbook “The Shaman”. Bamboo gamelan, and various other wood-based instruments are blended with jungle sounds here.

6. Fire Element, (Tibetan Medicine Mantra)
“Tayatha Om Bekhandze, Maha Bekhandze, RadzaSamud Gate Soha”, the words of the traditional Buddha medicine mantra, are contained on this track. The translation calls for the elimination of illness, pain, ignorance and suffering. Also included is a second Tibetan Budhist mantra “Om Ma Tri Ni Zu Ru Zu Du Tro Zo Soha,” which is meant for calm, peace and rest, especially for children. Stringed zither is woven with the Spanish guitar as the main accompanying instrument. Chris Soltara adds some sweet guitar accents to this track as well.

7. Air Element Part I, (Native Prayer Flute):
Native American triple chambered flute is played in this recording accompanied by metal bowls, tubular bells and bird and insect sounds.

8. Air Element Part II, (Middle Eastern Ney Flute):
Egyptian style Bamboo Ney flute also with metal bowls and chimes, provide a Middle Eastern flavor on this track as the notes lengthen and the sound of wind is introduced.

9. Air/Ether, (Choral) ft. Gede Artha and Hugh Strathern:
An atmospheric choral merging of Latin, Celtic, and Balinese melodies and harmonies to provide a launching point into the element of Ether. Award-winning choir singer, Hugh Strathern (UK) provides gorgeous high tenor accents that float through, while Gede Artha’s (Indonesia) Bali charm also floats through mysteriously to complete the trio of voices. This track like many others on this album is an improvisational piece.

10. Ether, (Singing Bowls):
A combination of Tibetan and crystal bowls with tubular bells, koshi chimes, wind chimes, meditation bells and other expansive sounds for deep peace.

11. Closing, (Balinese Chant) ft. Gede Artha:
Gede Artha returns to share a Balinese chant honoringthe sun’s (Surya) partnership with the earth. GedeArtha’s translation of this chant is ”OM… Great Surya, you glow red, I adore You who stays in the middle of a white lotus. I adore You for creating sparkling sunlight.”

12. The Medicine Song, (Bali Ambient Reprise) ft. Gede Artha:
Triyam Bakham Bali Reprise version. This track features Gede Artha bringing in a traditional version of the Sanskrit chant from India as an overlay to the more contemporary version of the mantra which I sing tubular bells and an old Roland string machine is also included.