It’s simply an undeniable “fun fact” that must be told at the top of every review of a recording by or featuring slack key guitar master Jim “Kimo” West – that in addition to his Grammy winning 25-year solo discography, he has what I have called the “coolest musical day job” in the world, recording and playing live for years with “Weird Al” Yankovic. Yet the release of Santhi, the warm=hearted, beautifully crafted, sonically intricate second dual album by West and acclaimed world percussionist Joss Jaffe, prompts us to uncover an even more relevant (and definitely whimsical!) detail of their creative origin story.
Jaffe and West met several years ago over their common love for a African harp known as the kora. West thinks they were both members of the same Facebook kora group. He was intrigued because one of the exotic instruments in Jaffe’s expansive arsenal is the ngoni, a West African string instrument, that West had been incorporating into his slack key playing for a number of years. However they first bonded, these self-professed “kora nerds” started talking and since they both lived in Southern California, decided to get together and jam. Inspired by their dynamic new friendship, musical compatibility and love for improvising and capturing ideas quickly, in 2022 the two released their first project Aum Akua, which featured a dynamic blend of Hawaiian and Indian sounds. Its title was a play on words combining the Hawaiian word Aumakua (spirit animals) and the Sanskrit word for Om (Aum).
Filled with both spirited guitar/percussion dances and gentle, soul-seductive meditations, Santhi is a subtle triumph of grace and gratitude inspired by the rich spirituality and natural splendor of the iconic Indonesian island of Bali, which received the Best Island Award from Travel and Leisure in 2010 due to its gorgeous surroundings (both mountain and coastal areas), diverse tourist attractions, international restaurants, friendliness of the locals and the unique Balinese culture and religion. In Sanskrit, Santhi means “peaceful in spiritual and physical happiness,” which derives from the word Shanti (peace).
While the ten compelling tracks Jaffee and West share on Santhi truly reflect the title concept, we should note that it’s not simply a clever use of phrase. A unique history of Sanskrit and Hindu elements influences many aspects of Balinese culture. As joyful and inner peace inducing as their journey is from the hypnotic, alternately lilting and plucky opener “Butterfly” to the surreally soothing, atmospheric and dreamlike “Sun Rain,” the duo function on another level as cultural educators, introducing a colorful style of music and its fascinating source cultural to those of us who have never previously immersed.
Simply calling the instrumentation the duo uses as guitars/percussion does them a great disservice. So more specifically, West uses acoustic, soprano, electric, prepared, steel and Moog guitars, eBow, bass and synth while providing additional percussion. Jaffe generates his exotic, intoxicating rhythms via the aforementioned ngoni, handpan, ipu heke (a Hawaiian gourd drum), shakers and assorted percussion. The artful and passionate way they use them evokes the feeling of Balinese Gamelan, which is the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments.
“Inspired by this,” Jaffe says, “we play different scales bringing new shades of light and shadow into the music. In some ways, I like this album better than our first. It is a richer and deeper introspective vision in my opinion. Some of the names pay tribute to Bali and the unique spirituality and sacred nature found on that beautiful island”
West adds, “We wanted to impart more of a Balinese/Indonesian feel on Santhi, so we used metallic elements like handpan and prepared guitar to our existing palette of slack key guitar, Indian percussion and African ngoni. We also used the Balinese slendro scale, a five-note scale with relatively equal intervals common to their music, on some tracks. Our intention was not to imitate authentic Balinese music, but hint towards that sound.”
The track paying homage to a literal place on Bali is “Monkey Forest Road,” a folksy tune juxtaposing high and low toned strings amidst a dreamy flute vibe and a slow grooving percussion pattern simulating moseying down Ubud Monkey Forest Road, which passes the famous sacred sanctuary home of the gray long-tailed macaques. The charming, breezy balm, sweet swirl of strings and intoxicating methodical rhythms of “Shadow Play” create a sly reference to Balinese Shadow Puppets, whose performances are often set to Gamelan Music.
The Balinese Water Purification Ceremony provides a healing ritual and understanding to the magical mysteries of Balinese spirituality; water is believed by the Balinese to be one of the forces of life. Jaffe and West fashion something of a soundtrack to this ritual with “Water Blessing,” one of their most heartfelt, soft-spoken and relaxing tunes which captures the sacredness of the spiritual experience.
Another song inspired by Bali’s rich spiritual heritage is the easy flowing, contemplative “Rainbow Body,” whose moments of energetic “light” from West’s guitars connect with the Buddhist concept of taking on a body of light at the time of a person’s passing. Santhi’s other tunes include the moody, adventure and curiosity seeking “Dreampath,” a sparkling exploration of a Balinese evening via their captivating “Moonlight Journey” and sweetly reflective “Tranquility Drift,” a tune that inspires us to close our eyes and feel the divine love and peace that is always available when we block out all distractions.
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