Customer Reviews

Walela

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A pleasant surprise, this melodic, restful and yet inspiring cd was well thought out! If you have never heard 'Amazing Grace' sung in Cherokee, with bagpipes (Scottish heritage!)along with some of the most beautiful women's voices - you are in for an experience, you'll listen to it over and over and over!Even my hard-core 'country western' son was inspired after hearing it in the background of a travel video we made while traveling in our truck with the cd player on- of course! This cd earns it's wings....

Hi I'm Cherokee and have been fortunate to actually SEE Walela live. If you EVER get the chance GO! Untill then, there are their Cds. I recommend them BOTH as well as Laura Satterfields Dirty Velvet Lie, but if you can only get one get the first CD. "Amazing Grace" was introduced by Rita as the Cherokee National Anthem when I saw them and it was sung when the people walked the "trail of tears" it is so moving - everything about this CD will set your spirit soaring. Warrior, Cherokee River, The Whippoorwill - its all amazing. I like this CD better also because so much of it is sung in the Cherokee language and it is SO haunting. This is one of those Cds that transform wherever I am into a special place - I couldnt live without it.

Since the 1970s I have been a fan of the music of Rita Coolidge and a few years ago was fortunate enough to meet her backstage following an appearance at an Atlantic City casino. During her performance she mentioned the soon-to-be released "Walela" CD, which I purchased as soon as it became available. It was the first CD I ever bought for my brand new, first-ever CD player. I have never heard a more moving or spiritual album in my whole life, and I'm speaking as a 63-year-old woman who has hundreds of albums ranging from 78s to 45s, lps, and cassette tapes. From all that music, "Walela" is the one that haunts me. Every time I play it I have to stop whatever I'm doing, sit down, close my eyes, and let those three beautiful, harmonizing voices and the accompanying background music wash over me. I often play it at night and drift off to sleep to the sound of this music. "Amazing Grace" is so incredibly moving, it brings me to tears every time I hear it, and I'm not even much of a religious person. I urge you to invest in this wonderful, beautiful, thoughtful album. I promise you, you won't be sorry. I just wish the follow-up album from this fine group was up to the standards of the original. I am hopeful that future offerings from the group, Walela, will be of the same caliber as the original.

These three beautiful voices harmonize through a stunningly moving collection of songs to celebrate their Cherokee heritage, spirituality of all kinds, and life. Did I mention beautiful voices? I mean, REALLY beautiful voices.

The album has a smooth, soulful mood from beginning to end. Rich with emotion and gentle beauty, this album is perfect for welcoming you to the morning, reminding you of Spirit in the midst of a hot afternoon, or soothing you at the end of the day.

I can't imagine that there's anyone out there who wasn't stunned the first time she heard this album. It's THAT lovely. You might slip it into your CD player with a casual shrug, but the moment, these women start to sing, you'll stop and listen. Truly a masterpiece.

The 1.5" steak at the Babb Steak House was going down quite well thank you (and the sauteed mushrooms with pine nuts was a revelation), but the restaurant's background music kept interrupting my sense of taste with a haunting sense of hearing. Finally, a helpful waiter found the answer to my question, "What's the music that's playing?" WALELA satisfied me just as the pleasure of a good meal with the Glacier Park mountains just outside the back door made me feel less tired and more inspired. I purchased the CD for my own well being and for my spirit chaser sister in Tulsa, OK, my sister wanderer in the south of France and my organic farmer brother in Onalaska, WA. Do your senses a favor too.

I have no words to express the joy and beauty this music has brought to me. Thank you Rita, Laura and Priscilla. You ladies rock.
I'm not Native American and don't understand the Cherokee language lyrics but you know what? It does not make one iota of a difference. Cherokee is a very musical beautiful language. I love to hear it.
I have had this Cd for about 7 months now and I play it almost every day and it never gets old. It is beautiful. Any one who is considering buying this recording my advise would be don't hesitate. You will love it.

As author of the novel, River Rising--A Cherokee Odyssey, I was especially touched by Walela's ability to capture the spiritual essence of the TsaLaGi (Cherokee) experience, both past and contemporary. For those familiar with the Cherokee Trail Of Tears, it is evident that the Eternal Flame has found its way across the decades to rekindle itself in the bosoms of these very special women. If there is a drop of Native American blood--whatever the tribe--slipping quietly along the hidden walls of your veins, this music will bring it pounding proudly to your heart. But you needn't be Cherokee or even Native American to appreciate Walela. Open your ears, open your heart and be prepared for a marvelous, moving experience. The real test of any CD/Album is how one responds on the 5th, 10th or 50th playing. With Walela, it only gets better. With each play, you feel it going deeper until it becomes a part of you. This is so much more than 'just another CD'. Don't miss it! (

I thought I'd lost Rita Coolidge, and then one day I walked into a Reservation gift shop and found this fabulous recording. Her voice is mesmerizing. It moves me to a place where everything is peaceful, as her voice always has. You can't beat the genetic harmony you'll find here either. I'm thrilled that her sister and niece are also on the album with her. There's even one with their mother--all of the Cherokee nation. I hope we hear more from them. 'Can't say enough good about this album. Anyone ever heard Priscilla's old records when she was married to Booker T. Jones. Kicks. Anyway, buy Walela. The best stress breaker I've found in a long time.

With the 5 star ratings this album gets I had hoped I'd really be getting something, I was disappointed. The cover photo is beautiful but the sticker proudly proclaiming "Group of the Year- Native American Music Awards 2001" is really a case of oversell. The three women have a great harmony together and some of the songs have a more Cherokee/Indian connection than others which really disappointed me, I wanted more Indian, less Country-New Age than I got. With 13 songs only 2, #7 Cherokee Morning Song, and #12 Amazing Grace were sung entirely in the Cherokee language (The album notes give credit to three people in for coaching them, that was a surprise because all three members of Walela have substantial Cherokee ancestry)and 3 #3 Wash your Spirit Clean, #5 Muddy Road, and #9 The Whipoorwill song have some Cherokee lines. Some songs might be considered historical in nature and others of a more spiritual nature which is fine, the music seems to be an odd mix of traditional Country/Indian types mixed in with some electronic(this is most of the New Age influence) depepnding on the song. One of the strangest things is #12 Amazing Grace. It is sung entirely in Cherokee, well done, with a traditional Indian drum backing, it gets odd near the end when I heard bagpipes faintly coming in.

I discovered Walela while working to overcome a dehabilitating disease. I was taking a dance class focused on low-impact, healing exercise. The class instructor chose Walela because she found it to be such inspriring, spiritual, and healing music. I have to agree! Cherokee Morning Song is my absolute favorite! This is soothing music with a smooth, rolling, rhythmic feel.

Some reviewers of this disc were disappointed to find that just a few songs were in Cherokee and that it wasn't as purely Native American as they expected. I don't think the CD should lose points for that reason as I don't see anything on the disc stating it is even intended to be that. I think Walela does a wonderful job as true artists creating and blending a theme and sound that is all their own and uniquely Walela.

I had to get my own Walela CD and have since given CDs as gifts to friends that could use a bit of inspiration and quiet-time in their own lives. My mother likes to listen to Walela quietly in early mornings. Even our children like to fall asleep to it some evenings. I enjoy Walela anytime of day and I think you will, too!