Afro-Brazilian/Sergio Mendes.
Drum batucada/arrangement: Bruce Silverman & Ensemble

Canto De Ubirantan

Chile/Words and Music by Violeta Parra. Arrangement: Bruce Silverman/Renee Benmeleh & Ensemble

Gracias A La Vida

The Orpheus Ensemble grew out the Sons and Daughters of Orpheus healing arts community, founded by Bruce Silverman in 1987.  It consists of six professional musicians, who are also healers, teachers, and lovers of the world’s varied spiritual traditions. From East and West Africa, to Yemen, Brazil, Cuba, and America, this music has its roots deeply embedded in the varied spiritual textures and practices of our world.  It is offered with the most profound respect for those teachers and traditions that gave birth to the ensemble’s approach to this music.  This demo can be received as prayer and meditation, or simply as an offering of beauty and listening pleasure. The instrumentation is quite varied and unusual: from West African bells and djembes, Cuban conga drums, classical recorders, Caribbean steel drums, guitars, bass, Brazilian ceremonial drums and percussion, and others sounds that are not so common in modern musical parlance. And of course, the various languages and vocal styles add a dimension to this music that is unique and dynamic. 

Gracias a la Vida

Promessa de Pescador

L'chai Olamim

Kothbiro

Canto de Ubirantan

As director (Bruce Silverman) and co-director (Renee Benmeleh) of the Orpheus World Music Ensemble: welcome to our recent demo/sampler of five songs from a variety of musical and spiritual traditions.  We are excited to offer this Sound Cloud sample: and feel free to contact us for the packaged disc: where the sound quality will more accurately demonstrate the full range of our music.

For booking or if you would like to offer a donation and receive a copy of our demo, please contact:

Bruce Silverman: 
925.685.5585
brucesilverman@gmail.com

OR

Reneé Benmeleh
408.836.9302
release71@hotmail.com

The Orpheus Ensemble grew out the Sons and Daughters of Orpheus healing arts community, founded by Bruce Silverman in 1987.  It consists of six professional musicians, who are also healers, teachers, and lovers of the world’s varied spiritual traditions. From East and West Africa, to Yemen, Brazil, Cuba, and America, this music has its roots deeply embedded in the varied spiritual textures and practices of our world.  It is offered with the most profound respect for those teachers and traditions that gave birth to the ensemble’s approach to this music.  This demo can be received as prayer and meditation, or simply as an offering of beauty and listening pleasure. The instrumentation is quite varied and unusual: from West African bells and djembes, Cuban conga drums, classical recorders, Caribbean steel drums, guitars, bass, Brazilian ceremonial drums and percussion, and others sounds that are not so common in modern musical parlance. And of course, the various languages and vocal styles add a dimension to this music that is unique and dynamic. 

For more info: see the website:  www.brucesilverman.org and look for the name "Orpheus." 

The five songs offered in this sampler cover three continents and four diverse cultures.

1. Canto de Ubirantan (trad. Afro-Brazilian); Sergio Mendes; song/drum batucada; arrangement: B. Silverman & ensemble.

2. Gracias a la Vida (Chile: Violeta Parra); arrangement: B. Silverman/R. Benmeleh & ensemble.

3. L'Chai Olamim (trad. Yemen/Hebrew prayer) "Life of the Worlds";arrangement: R. Kaplan & ensemble.

4. Kothbiro (trad.) East African water prayer; arrangement: Y. Mander & ensemble.

Promessa de Pescador (Afro Brazilian) "Invocation” to Iemajá: the Great Oceanic Mother, (Doryval Cayimmi); arrangement: B. Silverman & ensemble.

THE MUSICIANS:

Bruce Silverman: hand drums, steel pans, Brazilian surdos & ‘berimbau’, 
percussion, vocals.

Renee Benmeleh: lead vocals, riq, percussion. 

Rob Kelman: recorders, congas, repenique, percussion.

Yari Mander: drum set, dumbek, percussion, vocals.

Brigid Kelly: vocals

Mark Benjamin: bass, guitars

The Orpheus Ensemble

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