New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Singer and songwriter Cynthia Hart - inspired by metaphysics, nature and spirituality - has created her second album, I Remember which is subtitled: "The Magic of Atlantis, Lemuria & Mother Earth." By musically journeying through past lives and ancient civilizations, the recording becomes a mystical, melodic invitation and guide for personal exploration.
"There is nothing more powerful and fulfilling for each individual than when they awake to their soul's true purpose and destiny. I hope people will allow this music to assist them in reaching that goal. Upon deeply exploring my own spirituality, I received guidance and inspiration to write songs with positive messages about healing, love, devotion and compassion in an effort to bring music of hope to the world," explains Hart.
"I want each song to take people on a transcendent journey in which they can make a start in changing their lives for the better. I try to set specific moods and make the music touch the listener inside. I want to speak to their conscious minds but also to their subconscious self. The music can lead to exploration of past lives, healing of inner pain or remembering and forgiving."
The music on I Remember is soft and gentle, but with a rhythmic base. Hart, who wrote all the music and lyrics except for one song, brings a well-rounded musical background to this project. She has sung new age music at spiritual meetings, weddings, funerals, women's self-exploration gatherings and a wide variety of events, festivals and ceremonies. Her first solo album, Let Me Make
Music In Your Life, began her exploration of this style of music. But previously she sang in church, studied opera in college and performed in rock'n'roll, folk, pop and blues bands for many years.
More information on Cynthia Hart is available at her website (www.cynthiahartsongs.com). Her new CD -- I Remember -- and digital download tracks from the album are available at online sales sites such as CDbaby, Amazon, iTunes, eMusic and many others.
Cynthia first came to prominence in the music business with the Southern pop-rock band Dreamer, one of the top acts from the Atlanta area during the explosion of the "Southern Rock Scene." Dreamer toured 300-days-a-year for more than a decade and shared stages all over the country during the heyday of acts such as The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aerosmith, Atlanta Rhythm Section, The
James Gang, Steve Miller, ZZ Top, Bob Seger, Kansas, The Outlaws, Marshall Tucker Band, Savoy Brown,
James Taylor, The Byrds and Tina Turner. Cynthia sang onstage many times with
Lynyrd Skynyrd during jam sessions. Dreamer played all original music and Cynthia, as lead singer, wrote the lyrics. The band went into the studio and recorded at various times with the Atlanta Rhythm Section producing as well as other top producers such as Jeff Glixman (Kansas). Dreamer released two singles -- "Fantasy Man" and "Be My Man" -- and both received solid airplay throughout the Southeast part of the United States.
According to Cynthia's family, as a child she was singing before she could talk, and when she was ten she began to sing solos at the local Baptist church. She started studying piano and voice when she was 12, and during high school she performed in various stage productions. "I always loved Broadway musicals like 'West Side Story' and 'My Fair Lady', as well as singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin." Hart was awarded a scholarship and went on to study voice and piano at West Georgia University. She was the featured soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra doing "The Messiah," and also sang with The Robert Shaw
Chorale (Atlanta's top vocal group). But the vocal music studies at the university centered on opera and eventually her interests turned to popular music. "I became a professional singer for four years covering songs by the folk-pop acts of that time -- The
Mamas and The Papas,
Peter Paul & Mary, Judy Collins, Joan Baez."
I Remember begins with "Music of the Earth." "I thought this would be a good place to start," explains Hart, "because it is important for all of us to feel oneness with the earth, to get close to nature to feel whole and for healing purposes, and to feel the enchantment of our planet." The epic "Sisters of the Moon" celebrates women worshiping the earth, usually outside at night in a circle, sometimes around a fire. "It's all about ritual and ceremonial magic, and if you listen closely, I tell you the words to use." Another tune, "I Am," serves as an introspective meditation. "There are light and love and hope inside ourselves which we each need to acknowledge and share to find peace."
Two songs are about ancient places and past lifetimes. "
Atlantis" celebrates the lost continent that sunk in the
Atlantic Ocean but not before ships set sail to spread bits of that long-ago culture throughout the world including their customs, spirituality and building techniques (such as pyramids). Another mystical civilization hidden by the shrouds of time is Lemuria, a now-vanished land in the Pacific Ocean, which Hart sings about in "Lemurian Dreamer." The song tells the tale of ancient ones called "dreamers" who traveled from festival to festival dreaming for people who found those dreams always came true. "It was telepathic visioning where the dreamer projected positive experiences for the future."
Several compositions are non-traditional love songs, not just for a mate, but between any humans (including parents, relatives and friends) or between Goddess/God and each of us. "
Love Is Forever" makes a case for love never dying and even going beyond physical death to a spiritual eternity. "I Celebrate Your Life" applies "to anyone you have loved and admired and then lost, so it is a promise that you will never forget them." The song "
Listen With Your Heart" is a message to anyone who feels lost and alone, and feels like no one loves them. "They need to know love is all around us and if you open your heart, Goddess/God will fill it with light, love, compassion and hope." The spiritually-based "You Are Loved Come Home" states that the Goddess/God of the universe loves us as human beings, but when our earthly experiences are done, wants us to return to the Supreme Being's heavenly home.
The other tune is a specific self-help musical production. Hart says "I Forgive" is "all about self-empowerment, resolving issues from your past and forgiving yourself and letting these things flow out. We all have issues we need to get beyond including fear, shame, rage, pain and envy. This music serves as a guided meditation to help listeners forgive themselves."
Hart explains that the album title, I Remember, has its own message that pertains to all the music inside. "Remembering is a very powerful, magical and meaningful part of our lives. As the various songs detail, we need to remember that we are loved, remember to forgive ourselves, remember our connection to the Earth, remember ancient places and times, remember loved ones who have moved on, remember the old ceremonies, and remember what is in store for us in the future. Remembering is a beautiful thing."
The album was produced by Stan Henley (The Four Freshmen), who contributed flute, clarinet, synths, bass guitar and background vocals. The associate producer was Jim Boling (Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, Dolly Parton), who added flugelhorn, keyboards, strings and additional horns. Rod Henley (Manhattan Transfer,
Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys) played piano and worked on the strings and horns arrangements. Shea Henley (Brandon Bush, Joel Cross) played percussion and additional instruments. Bill Hatcher (Trammell Starks, Col. Bruce Hampton) was the guitarist, but also played harmonica, organ, bass and various ethnic instruments.
Sheri Henley (a chart-making recording artist in her own right) contributed background vocals and wrote "I Am."
Hart says, "My goals are simple -- to find personal fulfillment in creating good music, and to offer the world musically uplifting messages in hopes that it will help people. I'm trying to let people know they can change the world by changing themselves."
