2/29/2008

Paul Horn’s Inside the Taj Mahal music album

I picked up Paul Horn’s “Inside the Taj Mahal” 1 and 2 recently.  I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I heard him play with Carlos Nakai with “Inside Canyon de Chelly” and “Inside Monument Valley”.  Both are beautiful.  Very meditative sounds echoing off the canyon walls.

His flutes reverberate off the Taj Mahal’s marbled walls with deep resonation. The reason he was in India in the late 60’s was to do a documentary on Indian Hindu history.  While he was in India he wanted to tour the Taj Mahal and try to play his flute inside the temple.  20 years later he came back again to the Taj Mahal to try recording once again.  This time he noticed that the temple was in need of repairs.  Security was a lot tighter.  But they succeeded to record once again. Horn sold over 3 million copies of “Inside the Taj Mahal”

What makes this album unique is the same with “Inside Canyon de Chelly” and “Inside Monument Valley”, recording it live with anything goes attitude.  Playing what comes out of the heart and capturing the atmosphere of the setting. Every time I listen to “Inside Monument Valley” I can feel the warm winds, see the deep blue skies and sense the spirituality with-in.   I visited Monument Valley but I have never been to the Taj Mahal.  You can get a sense of what he was feeling when he recorded this meditation wonder.

Paul Horn, a world traveler is known as the founding father of New Age music.