My Albums

Review

Ariel Kalma is the kind of musician that collectors live their lives to find at the bottom of a dollar record bin, and the kind who fellow musicians hope to become. He is a composer who worked on the periphery of a fringe movement, whose early adherents have recently seen an explosion in popularity...

- Vivian Hua, redefinemag.com

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Spirit Dancer features eleven majestic and mysterious sounding compositions which utilize the unique sounding percussive instruments such as log drums and dumbeck to propel these hypnotic and tribal sounding beats. In addition Kalma employs the sounds of a didgeridoo, an aboriginal wind instrument from Northern Australia on "Didgeridoo Groove". He naturally blends the deep, rich sounds of that instrument with his funky, saxwhaphone (saxophone with a wah-wah pedal) and atmospheric synth washes.

"Fire Drums" invokes the Indian fire goddess Agni via an array of swift, multi-layered percussion and the odd frantic sax flourish, while "Tribal Trance Dance" with its native chanting, electronic beats and delicate flute make for an infectious combination to say the least. "Rhythm and Soul" has a great mellow, laid back vibe flowing through it and the mood is established quickly through it's supreme, relaxing percussive arrangement and dreamy synth textures. Perhaps no track on Spirit Dancer sums up this whole rich and magical experience better than the track "Ano Tao Inan".

The story goes that when Ariel was recording this track in Hawaii he was trying to capture the American Indian spirit with a friend of his who is half Cheyenne. He was visited at his door one day by a Cree Indian whom he had never met . This individual heard their backing track and then recited an invocation in both his native language and English to accompany Kalma's drum tracks and the rest as they say is history.

I don't know how you'd even begin to classify or describe Ariel Kalma's inimitable musical vision amidst today's convoluted genre obsessed industry. All I can say is simply that Kalma's music makes me feel good and takes me away to a different place every time I hear it. Sometimes the destination is distinctly familiar while other times it's not. However, half of the joy and excitement of going along for the ride with Kalma is having no preconceived notions of where the music will take you or where it will end up.

- Ryan Sparks

Spirit Dancer

Worldbeats for the Global Soul

An enticing blend of melodic lines, tuned percussion, tribal atmospheres, and unusual instruments. Spirit is of the essence and dance is of this world. Ariel's music has both: rhythms to move to and a touch of the beyond as it takes a bit longer to grok.

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For more music go to Ariel's catalog.

"The longer I hear it, the more I like it and I hear each time something different", says a fan. An anticipated solo album of original music by Ariel Kalma! It has been years since he published a CD of his own. Ariel has spent much of his time during the past years gathering tracks by various artists to include into compilations of his label Music Mosaic 'The Pulse of Global Harmony'.

Track5: Rhythm and Soul	Track 4: Talking Drums

Or watch on YouTube	Or watch on YouTube

1. Didgeridoo Groove
RadioMix, 3:42 - Ethno percussion and groovy drums on a floating melody, trance a moving dance with dumbeck, log drums, Balinese hand cymbals, didgeridoo, saxwahphone, synthesiser and effects.

2. Fire Drums
(A. Kalma / K. M. Engels), 6:14 - Indian fire Goddess Agni inspired this energetic music of percussion and instruments speeding up as flames, kindles and purifies.

3. Tribal Trance Dance
(A Kalma / K. M. Engels), 4:51 - Joyous celebration of the tribe to let go, make noise and dance.

4. Talking Drums
4:17 - Tuned low drums mark the beat of the earth - rubbed hand drums seem to play a melody while log drums and kanjera Indian tambourines joyfully dance around.

5. Rhythm and Soul
6:42 - Chill out dance to let go with the rhythms: dumbeck, percussion, drums and a spacious synthesiser.

6. Music Love Makes
6:19 - A funky groove and a delicious voice play with a sensitive silver flute.

7. Spring Dance
6:11 - A bass clarinet, 2 flutes and a bamboo sax weave variations on a simple melody accompanied by shaman drums.

8. Ano Tao Inan
3:55 - Indian Cree invocation to the beauty of being aware, and remember spirit.

9. Crazy Horse Remembers
DrumX mix, 4:20 - Drumming, voices and fire-dance, remembering Wounded Knee.

10. Tribal Diva
(A. Kalma / Y. Mounier), 3:19 - A powerful sensual woman's voice dancing freedom, backed up by tribal drumming.

11. Didgeridoo Groove
7:15 - Longer version of the introduction piece above (track 1)