There is no other piece in the vast and idiosyncratic Rafael Pelissari's discography, that has such a deep impact, a broader context and an extremely meaningful musical and ethereal power of transformation than "Yagé".

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This specific piece was originally recorded acousticly, during no more than 2 sessions on 2012, while Rafael Pelissari was arranging a couple of different variations on Ludwig Van Beethoven's fourteenth Sonata. "Yagé" came as an improvisation during jam sessions on studio. However, the first time that "yagé" was actually performed live, was during the Van Huppell's Kunstenfestival Des Arts, in Amsterdam, during the spring of 2014.

More than two years between the creation and than the first presentation to the audience live, this piece has shown a huge and powerfull transformation. Rafael Pelissari's ability to improvise and create music it's wide known, but the transformation of "Yagé" through the years is by far the most interest and substantial example of his kind, in all Pelissari's discography.

 

Yet, despite the magnificent technical and musical aspects of this piece, "Yagé" has also a profound metaphorical meaning. The word yagé means a sacred drink used on spiritual rituals amoung several indigene tribes in South America. This powerfull beverage, composed by native herbs it's used to connect the mind with the universal councisness - and that is pretty much the whole context of this piece. You can experience this journey just by listening and felling the music flow. "Yagé" not only symbolize that journey but it's energy flows way beyond. It can be perfectly experienced by the listener, every single step of the whole path of the journey.

 

The music paints a landscape, a landscape of still waters, pure rivers, moving skies, the transformation it self, emphasizes the shift, the higher consciousness, the self knowledge and on the immateriality of the 'now', reflecting the author's philosophy about the transience of life.

 

Colorful with notes and chords, Yagé's energy sounds and flows Very lively, balancing in a unique way the technical guitar of Rafael Pelissari's mix of different styles as it culminates in the musical meditative experience, among the external and internal surrounding. In fact, it is a treasure that only few musicians can achieve with their music.

 

Each stretch of "Yagé" can develop a microcosm itself, molding one all, macrocosmic, and it can keep evolving to a no end, as the infinite, pretty much as the feeling of transformation, that may have a beginning but may never have an end.

 

And as this continuous transformation, made extremelly alive by every single and magical version that Rafael Pelissari brings to life on his own special and unique way on every performance, Yagé's effects and perceptions causes in the human emotional landscape in which the magical metamorphosis happens. This piece is the confluence of emotions and feelings, a deep and substantial unfolding, and even thou this precious piece has an unique root and theme, "Yagé" is a brand new song every time it is played, as life is a brand new life every single day.

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by Kaatje Reijnder