Tibetan spiritual leader to release first album in July
Stressed out while working at a bank in New Zealand, Junelle Kunin began searching for music paired with teachings from the Dalai Lama to calm herself down and allow herself to focus.
But she couldn’t find it online.
That’s when the musician and practicing Buddhist proposed an idea to The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Let’s make an album fusing music with mantras and chants from the Tibetan spiritual leader.
She was politely turned down. But on a trip to India — where Kunin says she typically gets a chance to meet the Dalai Lama — she asked again, this time writing a letter and handing it to one of his assistants.
Five years later, “Inner World” is born. The album featuring teachings and mantras by the Dalai Lama set to music will be released on July 6, his 85th birthday.
“I’d never heard him speak like this. He really was so excited he actually proceeded to explain to me how important music is,” Kunin said. “He leaned forward and his eyes were sparkling, and his fingers were rubbing together and he (talked) about how music can help people in a way that he can’t; it can transcend differences and return us to our true nature and our good heartedness.”
The 11-track project will be released in conjunction with a companion booklet.
On her trip to India in 2015, Kunin wrote down a list of topics and mantras she thought would be great for the album, and recorded the conversations with the Dalai Lama for “Inner World.” The religious leader recites the mantras of seven Buddhas on the album, discussing topics like wisdom, courage, healing and children.
When Kunin returned home, her husband, Abraham, who is also a musician and producer, helped her create music and sounds to enhance the Dalai Lama’s messages and powerful words.
Kunin said that although they’ve worked on the album for the last five years, it feels extremely relevant releasing it now.
“The entire purpose of this project is to try to help people. It’s not a Buddhist project, it’s to help everyday people like myself, even though I am Buddhist,” she said. “The messages couldn’t be more poignant for our current social climate and needs as humanity.”
Net proceeds from the sales of the album will benefit Mind & Life Institute as well as Social, Emotional
and Ethical Learning (SEE Learning), an international education program developed by Emory University and the Dalai Lama.
Grammy-nominated sitar player Anoushka Shankar makes a guest appearance on the album, playing on “Ama La,” a track honoring mothers. Shankar said being invited to perform on the album was “a huge honor.”
She first met The Dalai Lama as a child with her father, the legendary musician Ravi Shankar.
For the new album, she said, “What I was given was a beautiful template of (the Dalai Lama’s) voice speaking it was very evocative with his speaking. It’s so clear what the mood is about that it kind of flowed quite simply to just play over that and try to add a musical enhancement to the words he’s speaking.”
Dozens of other musicians were invited to help on the project, while Kunin’s husband had multiple roles, from playing guitar and percussion to drum and synth programming. Kunin co-produced the album and added vocals to three songs, including “Purification.”