Biography
Since 1975, this New Zealand artist made numerous trips to India to absorb the culture, study the music, and record performances of indigenous artists. In addition to producing two albums of traditional Tibetan ritual music by the monks of The Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery (for the Fortuna Records Sacred Ceremonies series), Parsons translated the essence of his journeys through the lush yet profound soundscapes he created for a number of highly regarded solo albums. Originally a jazz-rock drummer, he became interested in the music of India when he heard a performance by sitar master Ravi Shankar. Parsons bought a sitar and explored the instrument on his own for several years before studying with Krishna Chakravarty, one of Shankar's most accomplished disciples. After several trips to the East, Parsons composed almost exclusively for Indian instruments until 1979 when he purchased his first synthesizer. He went on to build one of the largest electronic recording studios in New Zealand, where he composed for radio, TV, and film. His devotion to both Western technology and Eastern music made for a potent, highly imaginative style of composition. David Parsons died on February 15, 2025 at the age of 80. ~ Linda Kohanov