Review of Protection by Rigzin

While reading the promo of this CD, a line stood out that sounded like an affirmation for my preference of CDs over complete streaming of music through online portals. The promo so poetically describes the album: “Each disk is a prayer wheel spinning sound.” Isn’t that beautiful and so apt because a spinning wheel is such an important holy object in Buddhism, around which this whole album revolves? Yes, the album is a full journey, and actually is the last album in the trilogy that the artist has offered by rendering complete ceremonies related to various events in one’s life in more simple and musical styles so that people can benefit from their deep spiritual power, even if they don’t understand them literally.

The album offers a unique combination of music and mantras and if you like to rejuvenate through the sounds that have ancient values yet are synchronizing with the modern and contemporary voices of humans and various instruments, ‘Protection’ should be on your shelf, or in fact, spinning in the CD player!

Album Name: Protection

Artist Name: Rigzin

Total Time: 57:00

The album is the 3rd and last in the series by the artist, and the listeners will be left with a desire to hear her more–the tracks carry music, mantras, and also traditional ceremonies of Buddist tradition.

There are 11 tracks on the album. I personally liked the tracks ‘Wrathful Guru’ and the title song ‘Protection,’ for they carry the elements of amazing music and mantras, and make a delightful listen.

The beauty of the album lies in its variety as one song is under one minute while another extends beyond ten. All the songs are produced by different people and therefore the whole album carries a lot of flavor.

In between, you will hear the artist in her ethereal voice giving short readings in English, which act like condiments for the already tasty sonic platter that this album offers.

One of the most important things while dealing with mantras or chants of any tradition is the pronunciation and particular styles, which make them unique and attractive. Owing to extensive and rigorous training that the artist got through her retreats, she has done an excellent job in rendering these mantras, while introducing subtle elements of electronic and new age music with them to make them appealing to the general listeners even if they are not exposed to Buddhist chants per se.

I was visiting Malaysia when I got the chance to hear this music and had just visited the Dark Caves near the famous Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur. In these natural caves, we got to experience 100% darkness where there was no light at all and closing the eyes and opening them made no difference. While listening to the music in my hotel room, I could picture myself standing at that place again and listening to the music–it would have been so blissfully meditative that it is just impossible to describe it.

Just want to extend my congratulations and thanks to the artist and all the people who came together to bring this album out for creating such a wonderful ‘prayer wheel’ that transports the listener to another plane of existence!