VAATA

Raga Varsa by Stefano Palleni, Emanuele Cinelli Bhagavaita VARSA è la parola sanscrita che sta per pioggia, questo il titolo che ho scelto per la questa nuova composizione e si articola in due parti. Varsa è il frutto della collaborazione con un altro artista straordinario dal carattere eremitico, il chitarrista e compositore romano Emanuele Cinelli Bhagadavaita, che è anche costruttore di strumenti artigianali di sua invenzione e suona in questa occasione. Dopo una lunghissima gestazione di tre anni quello che ne è scaturito è una mini-suite che tenta di descrivere le sensazioni associate all'arrivo del monsone che nel continente asiatico si ripete da tempo immemore portando con sé fertilità e vita. Quest’ultimo raga presenta nella prima sezione uno studio organizzato attorno al modo ionio, comunemente noto col nome di scala maggiore, Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si, per intenderci. L'approccio a un materiale così comune ci ha posto di fronte alla sfida di offrirne una versione stimolan...

Raga Udaya by Stefano Palleni Dopo una lunga pausa dall'uscita del Raga Vela , la mia ultima registrazione nella serie Contemporary Raga , ho deciso di lavorare a una versione in studio del primo Raga Udaya, che avevo precedentemente filmato sulla spiaggia di Goa Cina a Balikambang, durante la mia ricerca in musicoterapia presso l'Università di Malang. Potete vedere il video qui. Ho sempre conservato in un angolo della mente l'idea di produrre - presto o tardi - una registrazione in studio dello stesso brano che avesse un maggior controllo e una compiutezza formale che in qualche modo mancano alla prima versione, essendo questa più focalizzata sull'ambiente e sull'aspetto artistico. Questo raga prende il nome dal sanscrito udaya che significa alba. Nella pratica quotidiana, infatti, andrebbe collocato nelle prime ore intorno all'alba, oppure al tramonto, come rito di apertura / chiusura della giornata. Il modo che ho usato in questa composizione è il Lidio, con...

Raga Vela by Palleni EN - VELA , whose meaning in Sanskrit is time or tide , is the fourth studio reco rding of the open collection Contemporary Raga , and also the most elaborated one so far. For this piece I wanted a l evantine rhythm to confer a certain lightness to the dark colors I chose for the harmonies. The resulting theme has a deep, airy and at the same time sparkling character, whose coruscating light tells of pinnacles, shadowy oases and caravans on Central Asia desert routes. Special guests for this recording are Alessandro Tutoli, exquisite Italian guitarist, and Joko Tebon, Javanese percussionist of rare sensitivity. Together they have contributed to tinge the music with mystery. The opening head is played by the saxophones is followed by Alessandro’s dazzling solo, who embellishes the basic harmonic structure with flamenco-flavored chromatisms and arabesques, supported by the breath of the pulsation woven by Joko on his ethnic percussions, together they create an evo...

Amala by Stefano Scippa Palleni EN - I recorded this version of the song Amala in the porch of my house one evening after a storm, the air was fresh and scented. Incidentally I didn't play the sequence of notes I had written for the original melody, instead a variation came to my mind on the moment and turned out to be better than the former, thus I choose to adopt it. This recorded version of the same composition I filmed on the beach not long ago also gave me the idea to introduce the main theme with a short improvisation based on the oriental scale, followed thereafter by the melody. It's a short but effective vehicle for the mood I want to express: a feeling of purity and moving intimacy, just as the meaning of the word Amala  that stands for pure in Sanskrit .  Good listening.  IT - Ho registrato questa versione della mia composizione Amala sotto il portico di casa una sera dopo un temporale, l'aria era fresca e profumata. Casualmente non ho suonato la sequenza di...

Nivata by VAATA EN - Nivata is the second studio recording in the Contemporary Raga series, after the composition Krayang . In sanskrit nivata is a beautiful smooth sounding word, meaning valley. This purely idyllic melody, set in a simple harmony shifting between two  major chords a sixth apart, is the image of Malang valley where I spent the last four years. The frogs croaking, the crickets and cicadas chirrup were the blissful burst  plunged in the paddy into the shadows of the volcanos, an endless chant in  the starry nights. Thus I included the original sample as a complementary part of the song, along with the guitar and alto saxophone. I hope it contributes to render the dreamy atmosphere of those astounding moments. IT - Nivata è la seconda composizione registrata in studio della serie Contemporary Raga dopo la composizione Krayang . In sanscrito nivata è una bella parola dal suono dolce che significa valle. Questa melodia idilliaca è costruita su una semplice...

Krayang by Stefano Scippa Palleni EN - The first song drawn from the Contemporary Raga open collection that I release here in studio version is Krayang , while the previous two were recorded live in two videos. Krayang - heron in Thai language - is a pensive and melancholy composition that recalls the advent of the rainy season in Southeast Asia, full of lush and mysterious atmospheres. I developed this melody out of an early fragment that came to my mind in Thailand in 2017, when I was looking out the window and saw a marsh bird standing still on one leg in the middle of the paddy field. The morning mist hovering over the country made the scene look like a dream. The costant presence of water brought by the arrival of the monsoon, along with the colors and the changes in the rhythms of daily life, has no equivalent in Europe but can vaguely recall Autumn. This piece includes harmonic and melodic elements typical of traditional Javanese music with its elusive scales and ambiguous tun...

On July 16th 2022 I was invited by a local Indonesian association to introduce my recent compositions and work in music therapy in Indonesia. This occasion gave the opportunity to test the effectiveness of the material on the audience in a fresh cultural environment. I also had the chance to play with new bandmates and ask for their opinion about the new songs. Joko Tebon, the host musician, and Toni Praptono joined me on this event, the first on didgeridoo and ethnic percussions and the latter bringing on stage his original instrument: the guitarsitar, a hybrid scratch built lute made by Toni starting from the body of an old 12 strings guitar with the insert neck and the frets of a sitar. The selection we played is part of a larger project called Contemporary Ragas. The tunes in this repertoire combine modern music with the traditional concept of Indian raga. The purpose of this music is yet artistic, therapeutic, didactic and meditational. This means it fits different kinds of situat...

EN - The Raga Amala ( Pure in Sanskrit ) is the second in the series of the open collection Contemporary Raga . The song has a sinuous and mysterious character and uses a eastern scale and melody. Again, as in the case of the Raga Udaya , the recording was done in the natural setting of the beach. The philosophy remains the same, only minimal equipment and post production was adopted for the realization of this raga: an ordinary smartphone, a hand recorder and a little speaker for the shruti box in the background. For this you can sometimes hear the waves’ roar and the wind howling. I believe this relatively lo-fi approach is the one that better pictures the feeling of being there in the moment, just like a polaroid. It’s also a way to encourage everyone to produce their own music whatever the conditions. Capturing art in this way makes it affordable to anyone and doesn’t diminish the quality of your work. In this regard digital technology can be used effectively at your own advantag...

With this composition I start a new open collection of songs inspired by the Indian classical tradition, to which more will be added over time. Their purpose is both spiritual and meditative, they will also be placed in a therapeutic context for the treatment of the most common psychological disorders within the MST music therapy protocol. Their intention is to bring music back to its spiritual function, in this case the moment when the sound returns and merges with its origin, the pulsating rhythm of the waves to become an integrated part and where nature emerges as a real symphony. This work is the result of research that began in the period of my adolescence, future developments of this work will be published on the vaata.org website.