It’s always a pleasure to speak with musicians who seem to appreciate and absorb music on another level. Folks like this often see music in a way that regular music consumers might take for granted. After all, there is a real power in music, a force and strength that can alter our emotions in any which direction. Sometimes we forget this, and we just let the sounds that we’re listening to wash over us without thinking of the other dimensions that we might be missing.
The last time I spoke with someone who had a great deal of intensity over this subject was Carlos Santana. On this episode, I speak with a close friend and collaborator of his—a multi-instrumentalist who is a particularly amazing drummer and a multi-Grammy-winning producer whose No. 1 chart successes include Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin and many others. We’re talking about Narada Michael Walden.
Walden has a new album available, it’s called Euphoria and on it you’ll hear his usual compositional and production craftsmanship, but you’ll also get the opportunity to scroll through the contacts on his phone, because many of his musical pals make an appearance: Stevie Wonder, Sting, and—of course—Carlos Santana. Euphoria finds the ever positive Narada Michael Walden creating music to move your body, but that also aims to ignite your spirit.
So, stop taking your music for granted. Especially that pop stuff you love to listen to with the windows down and your hair blowing in the breeze. There’s a reason that you feel that freedom in your soul while you’re driving to your grueling 9-5; it’s because the music that elevates you was crafted by folks who really care about how those tunes are to exist within the dimension you inhabit. You can thank guys like Michael Narada Walden for fusing his musical chops with his spiritual enlightenment to create a mini-vacation for you to take anytime you choose.
Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.
