Album Notes

Sound Healer Aleya Dao Teams With
Grammy Award Winning Producer For Awaken, A Groundbreaking
Journey Of Self-Awareness Blending Mystical Music, World Beat Rhythms
Ethereal textures, Toning & Light Language


An extraordinary musical recording designed to take listeners away from the stress, troubles and despair of everyday life and into a place of peace, balance and beauty, Awaken is a groundbreaking 41-minute journey to inner awareness driven by a seamless, harmonic blend of mystical, rhythmically driven music, ambient textures, toning and light language. The project is a first time collaboration between two renowned figures in the musical realms: master sound healer Aleya Dao and Barry Goldstein, who is both a Grammy Award winning pop and rock producer and the creator of the best selling six-CD ambient relaxation music series Ambiology.
More than simply another lushly produced new age CD, Awaken—whose compelling mix of sweeping melodies, infectious grooves and ethereal vocal magic taps into the heart like the best selling works of Enya and Sarah Brightman—it is a natural extension of Dao and Goldstein’s individual lifelong commitments to the powerful possibilities of sound and music to create a more peaceful, loving world.
“When I first heard Aleya’s previous recordings I was impressed with the beauty of her voice,” says Goldstein, “In my mind I heard more of a full blown production that could expand her reach into a larger, global market in need of her healing touch. I was also blown away that Aleya was singing in light language (which Dao defines as “sounds with energetic intention, which brings us back into balance”), toning (a process by which sound literally changes the vibration of our cellular tissue) and English. Goldstein incorporated those vocals with world music, modern beats and rhythms, ethereal textures and memorable vocal hooks to create a unique melting pot. A sound that Goldstein identifies as “ Now Age Music”, moving way beyond the traditional New age sound and moving into a broader international market. This would ensure that listeners would still get the healing aspects of what we do, but in a more accessible way.”
“With ‘Awaken’,” Dao says, “our intention was to have something out there that people could listen to as a means of flipping their switch back on, taking them from the difficulties and disorientation of the day back to a place of balance and healing. Awaken does just that, from the opening title track Aleya’s breathtaking voice is exactly like a musical light switch, turning you on and moving you effortlessly to “ “Journey Home” which helps guide you back to yourself, like a spiritual roadmap to your inner heart immersed in lush pads and tabla rhythms. “Remember” the crossover single on the album, caresses you with it’s heart opening piano lines and Aleya’s Angelic vocals and brings you back to your center and embraces you there. “Journey to Your Heart”, helps us disengage our mental body, as the ambient textures and vast percussive elements allow us to slip into our dream world, a place of magic that activates our spiritual intelligence and mastery. “Hear My Call” is a journey piece with a large and exciting percussive element that grounds you and awakens the tribal energy that mirrors the heartbeat. “ The heart was important to us on this project” The pieces were not composed or written ahead of time by myself or Aleya” says Goldstein .The process was about letting the music come through our hearts”. Aleya adds: “Our hearts were open wide and there were many tears of joy. We had a lot to celebrate, and we’re excited about sharing these gifts with the world.” Stay tuned, no heart will go untouched!!