The Album
One Thousand Petals is Adrian Freedman’s 15th studio album. It features collaborations with Ayla Schafer, Lua Maria, Deva Premal, Geshe Ahbay Rinpoche, Chandra Lacombe, Helen Bøksle, Sanju Sahai, and over 30 other singers and musicians from around the world.
Recorded in multiple locations over the past 7 years, it represents a culmination of Adrian’s love of cross-cultural musical collaborations, as well as the beginning of a new project to record the medicine mantra songs from his Lotus Rising songbook.
Adrian lived for many years in Japan, Brazil and other countries, deeply immersed in nature, spiritual traditions and creative projects with other artists.
The songs on this album present a weaving of the chants and mantras of Eastern traditions together with the poetic English lyric verses, fresh melodies and instrumental colours. The tracks of the One Thousand Petals album have a gentle, uplifting quality, evoking a heart-opening mood of tranquility. Each track features a different vocal soloist, while the subtle instrumental layers include string quartet, piano, Indian tabla and other percussion, handpan, African kora, Brazilian guitars and other string instruments, with the zen shakuhachi flute flowing like a river through the whole project.
Read more below about the origins of the songs, the mantras they contain, and the musicians on each track.
Credits
- All music & original lyrics by Adrian Freedman
- Produced by Adrian Freedman
- Mixed by Nils Olav
- Mastered by Morgan Nicolaysen
- Recorded in Dartington, London (UK) Sao Paulo (Brazil), Oslo (Norway), Byron Bay (Australia), Nosara (Costa Rica) and Catania (Italy)
- String Arrangements by Misha Mullov Abbado (Bhaisajyaguru, Gayatri), and Antonio Moscato (Jizō, Lotus Flower)
- Additional Mixing: Martyn Phillips
- Cover Painting: Clive Hedger
- Graphic Design: Emanuela Belovarski
- Art Coordinator: Gabriela Herzfeld
- Released by Nixi Music, Oslo
Musicians
- Adrian Freedman – vocals, shakuhachi, piano, guitar, percussion
- Ayla Schafer – vocals
- Deva Premal – vocals
- Chandra Lacombe – vocals, kalimba
- Helene Bøksle – vocals
- Darpan – vocals
- Susie Ro – vocals
- Charlotte Mabon – vocals
- Geshe Lama Ahbay Tulku Rinpoche – vocals
- Helen Knight – backing vocals
- Giovanna Gemma, backing vocals
- Antonio Moscato, backing vocals, bass
- Michael Stanton – acoustic guitar & octave guitar
- Ravi Freeman – kora, steel string guitar
- Txai Fernando – viola caipira, percussion
- Renato Anesi – acoustic guitar, bandolin
- Carlos Gomes – electric guitar
- Antonio Arvind – pantam handpan
- Ilaria Gianfagna – violin
- Bridget O’Donell – violin
- Ben Michaels – cello
- Misha Mullov Abbado – double bass
- Endre Hareide – bass
- Elahn Keshava – harmonium
- George Fogel – keyboards
- Nils Olav – synth
- Sanju Sahai – tabla
- Arjun Magee – mridangam
Chorus:
- Helen Yeomans
- Carlo Douglas
- Sam Smith
- Heather Hanrott
- Deborah Latham
- Milly Coulson
- Una McGovern
- Sue Rushforth
- Warren Jones
- Chris Wright
- Lizzie Stojalowski
- Olivia Seck