R. Carlos Nakai Talisman Genres:International Music, New Age, Pop Talisman celebrates the twenty-fifth anniversary of R. Carlos Nakai's first release, Changes, and returns to the pure, haunting sound of the Native American flute unaccompanied by other instruments. Talisman is a continuou... more »s soundscape as Nakai alternates songs for one flute and songs for two flutes in a rich tapestry of music so soothing, it unwrinkles mind and soul...« less
Talisman celebrates the twenty-fifth anniversary of R. Carlos Nakai's first release, Changes, and returns to the pure, haunting sound of the Native American flute unaccompanied by other instruments. Talisman is a continuous soundscape as Nakai alternates songs for one flute and songs for two flutes in a rich tapestry of music so soothing, it unwrinkles mind and soul...
CD Reviews
Evocative, Haunting, Beautiful
Tianne | Maryland | 01/08/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is wonderfully moving; I use it in my massage therapy practice and find that I never tire of hearing it in the background. It is one of those rare discs that I can start at 9 am, and at the end of the day when I turn it off I realize I've enjoyed it for 6 or 8 hours straight."
Talisman by R. Carlos Nakai
Mary Maralee | Tuscany | 10/06/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have other CD's by Nakai and this new one is the culmination of all of Nakai's works. He is a genius when it comes to communicating to the world with his soft, serene and soothing music. I love him. A must CD...
Mary Maralee
"
Haunting flute music from R. Carlos Nakai
Steven A. Peterson | Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL) | 11/02/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"R. Carlos Nakai comes from Ute-Navajo background, and his instrument is a Native American flute. And his musical voice is compelling, as exemplified in this CD. According to liner notes, he has released over thirty recordings, since his first in the middle 1980s. A few lines from the last page of the liner notes:
"At the first blaze of sunlight over the horizon
The prayer is finished and thus begins the new day.
In beauty it returns. . ."
Some illustrative cuts:
"Song of Darkness": This is a rich and evocative piece, elegiac in its own way. This is both mournful and soulful music.
"Obsidian Talisman": Another soulful piece. Some notes trail off softly until the sound ends. A moment of quiet and then the music sounds once again. This creates a telling effect for me.
"Sunrise Prayer, in Beauty:" Here, vocal chanting goes along with flute playing. The joining of voice and flute provides an almost hypnotic quality to the music.
This is the first time that I have listened to a full work by Nakai; formerly, I had only heard a handful of pieces played on our local NPR station. So, if you are interested in Native American flute work, this should prove satisfying. And if you're simply interested in good music, whatever its genre, you could do a lot worse than this CD.
"
Haunting and Beautiful
J. T. Zinn | Phoenix, AZ USA | 05/01/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Since 1983, R. Carlos Nakai has set the standard for excellance and innovation for the Native American Flute. His latest CD, Talisman, is yet another outstanding effort, and the ideal exclamation point for over 25 years of wonderful Native music. A collection of songs alternating between one Native American flute and two, Talisman is a rich, musical tapestry woven with the utmost care. Nakai's choice of tone and dexerity can only be described as masterful. Yet it's not only the notes he plays, but the spaces in between that make this haunting and beautiful collection something truly special. Talisman makes the perfect accompaniment for a Yoga or T'ai Chi practice, or for just relaxing at home.
