TERRA INCOGNITA (1991) (Chinmaya’s Selection)

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My selection from two albums originally recorded in 1990 and 1991

These two CDs, played on a mix of Western, Indian and African instruments, were inspired by Osho:
“Tao means only the path, no goal. There is no goal, but only the path.
And unless you learn to enjoy the journey itself, you will become more and more serious.
If you want to remain in tune with life, then remain always a celebration.”
They were recorded in Munich, Germany, soon after Osho left the body, and carry the flavor of the many musical events that Chinmaya and the other musicians involved had been part of in Osho’s Pune commune.
Read my blog about it.

TRACK LISTING

THE STORY OF TERRA INCOGNITA in 1990

It all began in 1990 (when NER was Tao Music and based in Munich), when Bhikkhu invited a group of friends to record Tao’s first music CD. The six of us assembled in a large room in the country outside the city, and knowing nothing at all about recording and having only the most primitive equipment, proceeded to play each track ‘live’. This involved hiding ourselves behind piles of mattresses (so that sound wouldn’t ‘spill’ from one microphone to another), and recording endless takes until at last no-one had made an obvious mistake. ‘Terra Incognita –No Goal But the Path’ was released the following year, and while no longer available commercially, its innocent vibe and live feel still comes through today for those lucky enough to have a copy.

The following year the Terra Incognita team met up again in Italy to record the follow up ‘Tribal Gathering’. Prem Joshua, Ravi and I played a couple of concerts arranged by Tao Music in Munich’s ‘Gasteig’ (including as an opening act for Hariprasad Chaurasia) imbetween sessions, and earned enough to pay for a few additional hours in a real studio, so the record has a more professional feel. It was a hit and miss affair – we were still learning! – but there are a couple of tracks we can still be proud of.

Read on here