Another offering from the great Ocora label. Field
recordings of Hindu & Buddhist ceremonies (& two Catholic hymns
recorded at the house of Clement Fernando, on the island of Duwa, Sri
Lanka…Clement plays Jesus in the Easter Passion Plays) recorded on the wing, live & unrehearsed,
with slowly rising vocal drones, some big-bellied oboe, double-headed drums,
chanting Bhikku monks, & phallic cults (the Siva Linga cult on the first
side worships the flower adorned lingam or male member – it is a mixture of Brahmin
& pre-Hindu fertility cult).
Read the notes from the inside gatefold included with the
file for the fascinating story of how these recording came about, their trials
& travails...
Various - Sri Lanka: Ritual & Religious Music (MusiquesRituelles et Religieuses), Ocora 558 552, 1986.
decryption code in comments
Face A –
1
Ritual of Siva Linga at Kovil Kegalla - Part 1 (Rituel
Siva Linga au Kovil de Kegalla – Partie 1)
2
Ritual of Siva Linga at Kovil Kegalla - Part 2 (Rituel
Siva Linga au Kovil de Kegalla – Partie 2)
Face B –
1
Arrival at the Temple of Nagolia
& Praise for Buddha (Arrivee au Temple de
Nagolia et Louanges a Boudha)
2 Buddhist Protection Song: Seth Pirith or Greeting to
Buddha (Chantes Bouddhiques Pirit: Set Pirit)
3 Buddhist Protection Song: Maha Pirith or the thre Buddhist
Sutras (Chantes Bouddhiques Pirit: Maha Pirit)
4 Buddhist Protection Song: Yuga Pirith or all-night
Chanting of all Sutras (Chantes Bouddhiques Pirit: Yuga Pirit)
5 Buddhist Protection Song: Yuga Desana or ending Chant (Chantes
Bouddhiques Pirit: Yuga Desana(
Catholic Song of Passion (Chant de Passion Catholique Pasam)
Catholic Hymn Kantaru (Hymne Catholique Kantaru)
Raakasha (a phrase that
refers to the ancient language of Sinhala, the mother tongue of the Sinhalese
people, who make up the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka) is an Sri Lankan ethno folk/ambient band with black metal
undertones. They formed in the early dawn of 2008. Beelzebub - yakbera & drums & Deshapriya - bass
got together with a concept for the Raaksha Project. The concept of the project
was to create music expressing the beauty & atrocity of ancient Sri Lankan
realms & bringing it into modern day society. This unique genre of Pure
Hela Metal is characterized by furiously shredded guitar riffs, bowel shaking
bass, animalistic-decimated drum lines & inhuman shrieks & growls
for vocals.
For centuries Sri Lanka
has slowly been turning away from its rich cultural heritage, a heritage soaked
in blood, brutality, war & hate as well as being entrenched in peace, honor,
& mind warping Spiritualistic rituals. In 2008 the Raakasha Project decided
to address this slow fade of ancient knowledge. They incorporate ritual music
with raw black metal.
“Sidhapathini” is a song dedicated to the goddess Sri Sidha Paththini. The song starts with a howl of the guitars, a clean electric guitar sound that gives it a dark & ambient atmosphere, bizarre yet trance-like. The second part of the song fades in as a devil chanter begins to chant an ancient spell in the background while a depressive distortion sound fills the entire song. This song couples minimalism on the one hand, with monotonous hypnotic rhythms on the other. Together they create a sort of unity that leaves a strange impression on the listener; especially on those of us from Western countries.
On this demo, Raaksha
are: Buddhika Karunasekara – vocals; Dylan Perera – guitars; Deshapriya – bass;
& Beelzebub – yakbera & drums.
Raaksha – Sidhapathini demo, self-released, 2008.
decryption code in comments
Enjoy if you dare,
SØ