ÁMAME - Palabras Ocultas de Bahá'u'lláh

Insignia Records, 2001

“Strike up such a melody and tune as to cause the nightingales of divine mysteries to be filled with joy and ecstasy… play and sing out the holy words of God with wondrous tones in the gatherings of the friends, that the listener may be freed from chains of care and sorrow, and his soul may leap for joy and humble itself in prayer to the realm of Glory… And then, with flying flags, and to the beat of drums, let us pass into the realm of the All-Glorious, and join the company on high.” (Abdu'l-Bahá)

Produced by Leonor and Shangó Dely
General Direcction Shangó Dely
Executive Producer KC Porter
Recorded and mixed at Estudios Zambrano, Bogota and WorldBeat Recording,Calabasas, USA

The Hidden Words is a collection of short mystical poems by Bahá’u’lláh. God Himself speaks through them, addressing the inmost being of each of us, and, clothed in a language for our age, lays out anew the steps that lead to the eternal spiritual path, which is a prerequisite to the unification of the human race in a global society raised on the twin pillars of Justice and Love.

Leonor Dely has set twenty of these ethical-mystical-spiritual gems to music in rootsy styles of her native Colombia and the Circumcaribbean, thus putting into practice one of the basic principles of the Bahá’í Faith, namely the defense of the cultural identity of all peoples and the preservation of ethnic cultural diversity which will bear its fruit in a future global civilization.

This album contains 19 compositions, each in a different, unique, distinct rhythm and music style as a "synthesis of my personal and artistic evolution, with a flavor that integrates memories of the Andes and the Caribbean and channels to ears and hearts a sacred message to meditate and reflect upon and to transmute the soul through the power of Love". Each of the songs is a little gem of its own unique and distinctive Latin rhythm, like landmarks on a musical map of Colombia and the Caribbean, ranging from Afro-Colombian cumbia, porro and currulao to huapango and cueca of the Andes, bambuco and pasillo of the interior, pasaje of the plains; from Afro-Cuban batas, guajira, bolero, danzón and pilón to Haitian yanvalou, giving the album a musical diversity as rich as the words contained within it.

"It is at once the fruit of all these years together in music and family, and the beginning of a new cycle in my life, more intense and fruitful than ever, destined to take our accumulated experience and passion to many more people in many more parts of the world."


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Songlist - Listen!

  1. Intro
  2. Ámame
  3. Tu paraíso es Mi amor
  4. Rompe tú la jaula
  5. Tu oído es mi oído
  6. Posee un corazón
  7. Velado en Mi ser
  8. La rosa del amor
  9. Para todo hay un signo
  10. Ante Mi vista
  11. Vuelve tu rostro
  12. Pídete cuenta
  13. No te aflijas
  14. Te llamo a lo eterno
  15. Pon tu mano
  16. No murmures
  17. Amé tu creación
  18. Rompe las cadenas
  19. Escribe con la tinta
  20. La Tabla de Ahmad

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Reviews:

"A pure voice of inspiring lyrics and afro-latin rhythms: an explosion of sound in the purest of voices with a heart plucking acouistic guitar driven by drumming from many cultures, all supported by the soaring lyrics of other-worldly inspiration. have your heart and soul touched while your body dances along."
Reviewer: Tom Lysaght, playwright

"A musical masterpiece throughout! A must for any world music enthusiast!"
Reviewer: Tom Conelli, New York Times

"Great contribution for world music collections!
Amame is a rare find for the world music enthusiast! This collection of songs hold together well given the variety of nicely executed latin and afro-cuban rhythms . The passion of Leonor's vocals and other musicians makes for a deeply inspiring listening experience."
Reviewer: Scott Antilla, Executive Director, HarmonyWorks

"A solid mix of African and Afro-Latin American folk rhythms and musics. It is an unusual mix for a major music producer, and maybe one of K.C. Porter's finest recordings." Reviewer: Enrique Lopetegui - Los Angeles Times

"This recording should get serious and abundant praise from critics.
Haven't stopped listening to it since I bought it three weeks ago. Haven't stopped dancing either. What a joy to hear such uplifting words combined so masterfully with exuberant, delightful, and poignant melodies. The musicians are fantastic. Leonor's voice is superb. Can't say enough to extol this CD."
Reviewer: Billy Howell-Sinnard

"Amame is amazing!
Heart to heart love beats with spirit, professionalism, art, and pure grace. No prose gets close to describing the effect this music has on its listeners. Leonor loves us through her urgent song and our foundation is remade with joy." Reviewer: Tracy

"Fantástico! Excelente! Qué inspiración!" Reviewer: Lorenzo Allen

"I just love this CD! The sound is rich and vital, it's enthralling and thrilling. I like it more each time I listen to it." Reviewer: Fi G.

"Highly recommend!
Highly professional production. Outstanding vocal and musical performance. And lyrics... well, shall we say divine. Don't let the Spanish language be a barrier this time." Reviewer: Sergey S.

Strannik
Strannik, in Bulgarian, means something inbetween "wanderer" and "stranger". I'd like to think of it as "befriended stranger". Monday, December 23, 2002

Amame!
Strange things can happen when you decide to start a blog.
When visiting the Baha'i Index website for the "Befriended Stranger" quote, I noticed an online add for a CD I had been looking for. The CD is called "Amame" (Love Me, in Spanish) and is by Leonor Dely, a fabulous Colombian singer who had put together some of the Hidden Words by Bahá'u'lláh to music. The CD is produced by KC Porter who won a Grammy for his work on Carlos Santana's "Supernatural". (I had the pleasure of singing at a jam session with KC Porter and friends at the Baha'i Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, in December 2001.)
I had heard the title song "Amame" from Leonor Dely's album at another very interesting CD, "The Best of Radio NUR, 2002" which showcases a diverse set of Baha'i artists. "Amame" is clearly the best song on the Radio Nur playlist, and here we go now, I just ordered the CD :-) Looking forward to more great music!
P.S. Here are the words which inspired Leonor Dely's song:
"O SON OF BEING!
Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant."