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Album Review: Rising Sun
Anaya Music
Cover image of the album Rising Sun by Anaya Music
Rising Sun
Anaya Music
2021 / Anayamusic
47 minutes
Review by Kathy Parsons
Rising Sun is a twelve-track instrumental album by award-winning Brazilian composer/musician Anaya Music. Co-produced with Matthew Shell and Pedro Tavares, Anaya performs on piano, keyboards, flutes and saxophone along with guest artist, Sami Turunen on guitars. Warm and healing, the music is more ambient than melodic and is described as:

"This album reflects the encounter of a Divine Being; cultivating the Beauty at the highest level of spiritual qualities and expanding the sunlight as a messenger of greater love of the Whole and in the universe. After Chaos on Earth there will be a Rising Sun of a new humanity."

Also known as Tania Mara Botelho, Anaya Music is one of the leading artists in the ambient and new age music genres. She began her recording career in 1998 and has released dozens of albums and won many awards. Her music focuses on elevating the human spirit via the power of music and universal vibration. Quoting her biography:

"When she’s composing, Anaya calls on her spiritual side, and 'retires' from this world to enter a realm of musical vibration, starting with a 32-minute meditation session. Yet when production begins, she draws on her tech background as a Digital Information Specialist, analyzing the most effective sounds to convey her provocative spiritual concepts. Reflecting on her personal inspiration and creative process, Anaya says, 'I make music to fulfill a collective yearning shared by humanity for harmony, unity and balance. The magic of music and the profound feelings of love are a divine instrument of perfection to give re-birth to our soul. Music is the sound of Light. Our best instrument is the universal harmony of being.'"

Rising Sun begins with "Openness to Love," a shimmering, gently-flowing piece for piano and flute with just enough reverb to give the music a dreamy quality. The title track utilizes piano, guitar, keyboards and wordless vocals to inspire images of a peaceful sunrise full of promise and potential for a bright new day. "Twilight" offers a lovely impression of the quiet tranquility that comes at the end of each day when daylight is fading but it's not yet dark. "Rising Sun" and "Twilight" both have music videos on Anaya's site and YouTube. The slow, easy movement of strings, flute and keyboards in "Morning Star" is serene and oh so relaxing. Lots of music has been composed about the magical beauty of "Moonlight" and Anaya's piece for flute, piano, sax, strings and keyboards shimmers and enchants. "Voyager" gives the feeling of floating on a calm and peaceful ocean. Flute, piano and wordless vocals flow effortlessly and then trail off at the end. There aren't many places more soothing to the soul than a beautiful garden, and the closing track on the album, "Garden," takes us to just such a place to calm and renew our souls and refresh our sense of well-being.

Rising Sun can easily be a soundtrack to the beginnings of the post-pandemic era with its messages of hope and fresh starts. It is available from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes and streaming sites like Spotify.
June 3, 2021
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