Reflections of the Sun Pt. 3 (Son Como Sangre) appears on the album Sacred Paths by Asia Jazz Project featuring Molina Soleil & Aju (2009)
Jazz meets Latin Reggae meets sultry Spanish vocals and spoken word poetry on the third Reflection of the Sun, highlighting Aju’s multi-faceted abilities as an vocalist, as well as Asia’s diverse sound.
Asia Fajardo-Wright is an avant-garde saxophonist and composer who leads Asia Jazz Project, plays in the Latin-Reggae band Mono Verde, and writes and produces original cultural and musical productions.
Sacred Paths – Soulaju’s 2009 collaboration with Asia – is very theme-oriented and theatric in its musicality. My hope is that Sacred Paths leads to some experimental modern dance productions in coming years. I would like to see a director/choreographer take Sacred Paths to another level, adding physical movement to these compositions.
Reflections of the Sun Pt. 2 (Life Rituals) appears on the album Sacred Paths by Asia Jazz Project featuring Molina Soleil & Aju (2009)
Listening to Aju’s Life Rituals Reflection I am reminded of the importance of rituals, personally, socially, and culturally. Not so much the Mannequin/mundane rituals of day-to-day life, but the spiritual rituals, love rituals, appreciation of moments that echo the circular and spiraling nature of this life.
Reflections of the Sun Pt. 1 (Solar Flare) appears on the album Sacred Paths by Asia Jazz Project featuring Molina Soleil & Aju (2009)
During weeks 32 – 34 of A.M. Soleil, Retrospectively, I get to write about and reflect on pieces that I did not write or record. Reflections of the Sun parts 1, 2 and 3 were written by Aju, recorded with Asia Jazz Project. These Reflections reflect, compliment, and contextualize my Letters to the Moon.
The Letters to the Moon and Reflections of the Sun explore the cosmic dance between the sun and the moon. This relationship has been revered and celebrated cross-culturally throughout human history. Life on Earth could not exist without the sun or the moon and the solar balance they create on the planet.
I was on a train from Copenhagen, Denmark to Berlin, Germany when I wrote this poem. There was a lot of movement that day, in the waters and in the sky. The colors held me. I watched everything in silence, breathing it all in until it was time to write…
I wrote five Letters to the Moon during a journey through northern Europe in November 2008. Three of these poems became compositions on Sacred Paths.
This Letter was written near a small town maybe 30 miles or so south of Dublin, Ireland. I can’t recall the name of the town, but I remember the day well. I remember the way the pen felt in my hand, the coldness of my fingers as a I scribbled the ocean’s words.
Building off the theme of the moon, “Letters to the Moon Pt. 1 (Heart in Motion)” appears on Sacred Paths—a collaboration with Asia Jazz Project.
Sacred Paths is a 9-piece collaborative project that fuses nu jazz and poetry. It was released on September 20th, 2009—a day that marked both Asia’s and Aju’s 26th birthdays. The album contains two tracks that are each almost 15 minutes long. These tracks are more like journeys or opuses than they are songs.
“Wow. A few other words to describe this experimental Spoken-Word/Jazz Fusion album would be: passionate, seductive, insightful and motivational. This album is definitely progressive, to say the least. The horn arrangements will call to your soul; the percussion stimulates your senses. Aside from superb musicianship, the message being shared by these two protégés reflects a zeal and wisdom that belies their years. Some jewels that I particularly enjoyed on this album are “Rise Mantra,” “City Night Speak,” and the title track, “Sacred Paths.” The LP is set to drop on September 20, 2009. You can pick up a copy at any CDBaby, iTunes or at the website: SoulAju.com.”
- Charlotte D. Abberant, Colorado Music Buzz, October 1st edition 2009