YVETTE ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM
THE SONG OF BREATH FOLLOWS ACCLAIMED 2010 DEBUT
Yvette Pecoraro has announced the release of The Song of Breath, her new concept album co-produced by award winning composer Ben Leinbach. Pecoraro, renowned for her mastery of the call-and-response chanting of mantras and prayers known as Kirtan, released her critically-acclaimed debut album in 2010.
For her sophomore effort, Pecoraro says she strove to “create a work that was not only appreciated by those familiar with Kirtan, but also accessible to those who are not.”
It may seem surprising that to accomplish this Pecoraro ultimately decided that the album would be an interpretation of a forty-verse Hindu poem and devotional song known as the Hanuman Chalisa. Pecoraro, known for her skill of blending traditional Eastern music with Western popular melody, was confident with her choice. “It did seem ambitious,” she laughs. “But, I knew if we put the right team together we could do it.”
First, she approached her friend Girish, a fellow Kirtan artist who specializes in jazz, world and sacred music to add vocals on two of the album’s tracks. “Girish provided a balance we wouldn’t have achieved as beautifully with one voice,” Pecoraro modestly explains. “His lead and backing vocals elevated the album’s aura to an entirely different level.”
To round out the team, Leinbach suggested enlisting the talents of Benjy Wertheimer, an award-winning musician and founding member of the internationally acclaimed world fusion ensemble Ancient Future. His contributions, according to Pecoraro, set the album’s meditative tone.
“We wanted to create something that spoke to people on different levels,” Pecoraro remembers, “something that would trigger emotional responses from which people could draw inspiration. We also didn’t want for it to sound overproduced. Simplicity was the key.”
The result of their collaboration is The Song of Breath.
Songwriter and Yoga on Main founder David Newman calls the four tracks that comprise The Song of Breath “a magical journey through many diverse and beautiful musical and devotional moods.”
“We live our lives one breath at a time,” Pecoraro says. “More than anything, my hope is that anyone listening to the musical tapestry we strived to create with The Song of Breath walks away with a deeper appreciation of every moment and the blessing each one of us is to ourselves and those around us.”
Both The Song of Breath and Pecoraro’s first album Into the Arms of Love are available for download at iTunes. For additional information, visit yvetteom.com.
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About Yvette
While born and raised in Philadelphia, Yvette Pecoraro’s background is diverse. As the descendant of Jews exiled from Egypt, she traveled extensively as a child and was exposed to an array of cultures. “In each,” she states, “I heard the song of the divine and saw the common thread that connects us.”
In her mid-twenties she read Paramahansa Yogananda’s “Autobiography of a Yogi” after which “an inner recognition burst free. Every page rang familiar and sang” she remembers. Teachings delving into the meaning and sound efficiency of Sanskrit mantra provided by the late Thomas Ashley-Farrand and the influence of renowned Kirtan artists such as Deva Premal, Krishna Das and Snatam Kaur inspired her to release her debut offering Into the Arms of Love in April of 2010 followed by The Song of Breath in 2013.
In addition to her “most important role” of wife and mother of two daughters, Pecoraro is also a teacher of Hatha yoga who offers private and group healing sound sessions and a numerologist. Her philanthropic work includes not only serving as an advocate and spokeswoman for Living Beyond Breast Cancer but also performing Kirtan accompaniment during this Philadelphia-headquartered nonprofit’s largest national fundraiser, Yoga on the Steps. The event is annually hosted in cities across the country to introduce the healing power of yoga and Kirtan into a person’s overall wellness plan.
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