SHAWN RAE - A WORLD OF ROMANCE

CD Review
By
Dr. Linda Howard

There are three kinds of people who will thrill to the sounds of “A World Of Romance”; those who are looking for love, those who are in love, and yes, even those who have regretfully decided love isn’t worth the trouble.

It’s not just Shawn’s breathtaking voice that thrills the heart of the listener, but his choice of songs that recreate the most universal, yet personal and uplifting spirit of love at its very pinnacle. How refreshing that nowhere in this masterful synthesis of orchestration, emotion, lyric and voice is there ever a hint of cynicism or expression of love’s agony. The entire work is at once uplifting, exciting, and deeply sensual. Shawn is no less than equal to some of the world’s most famous crooners in both style and voice quality. The musical arrangements are unique and original, and integrate, in some songs, a hint of the delicious flavors of other cultures. We find ourselves visiting far off lands with Shawn, waiting with great anticipation to see where he and his orchestra will transport us next. We are willing travelers on the journey from one lyrical experience to another, and as our joy and faith in the power of love grows, Shawn gently lets us become aware of what might otherwise seem pedantic -- that the greatest love of all happens within ourselves. We as listeners feel a familiarity with the choice of words, emotions and humanity. We feel a oneness with him, as we effortlessly ascend to a higher level of consciousness. We are joyful on this journey. We feel what he feels.

If being in love has a beat, Shawn captures it, especially in “The Power of Love”. By the eighth song, a “Woman’s Touch”, Shawn has got you. That’s right, YOU! Whatever your age, your take on love or your situation, when Shawn’s glorious, seductive voice asks, “Woman, love me tonight,” you’ll say “Yes”.

The event represented a two million dollar commitment to benefit Miami Children's Hospital, which has been ranked consecutively as one of the top pediatric hospitals in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1950, the hospital is South Florida's only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately 800 attending physicians and more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The facility operates the only Level 1 pediatric trauma center in the region and has earned the prestigious American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet designation, ensuring that critically ill children throughout South Florida receive world-class care without having to leave their community. 

A WITNESS TO HUMAN RIGHTS NEGLECT

A Lesson in Homelessness, Hunger, Disease and Despair

By Shawn Rae

As a child of 6 years of age, in the Himalayan regions of the sub-continent of India where I was born and raised till the age of 18, I was taken along with other children to a refugee camp in the desert. The purpose of the trip was to teach us a lesson in compassion for those in need.

What I personally witnessed when our convoy arrived at our destination is forever etched vividly in my mind. There were throngs of barefooted people in filthy tattered clothes. There were old men, wearing thin wrappings about their lower bodies, their skin, dirty, leathered, dried out and wrinkled from the severe effects of the sun. There were those unrecognizable as women, with clothes all bedraggled and torn. There were no accessories to adorn them, no finery or polish, just thin coverings for their heads to shield them from the searing heat of the scorching sun. Some of them, those appearing younger, were holding fast to their ragamuffins – those little unkempt children who looked old far beyond their years. Many of them, adults and children alike, were crying, grabbing, clutching and clawing at the things being tossed from the lorries that were part of our convoy.

Suddenly, one of the objects being thrown at the crowd went astray and landed directly at my feet. I stooped to pick it up, to help, to be a part of what was being given. To my disgust what I assumed to be food was in fact, an old stale piece of bread with furry greenish mold on its edges. Just then, coming towards me, I saw a small, frail boy dragging his physically challenged body sideways on the ground. As he reached me, his pained face forced a smile in hope of receiving the piece of bread in my hand. I quickly placed it in his outstretched tiny arm. He eagerly clutched it and hastily struggled back towards the wretched crowd. My eyes continued to watch him as he handed the piece of bread to a woman holding a sickly baby cradled in one arm, while a weeping little girl clung to the other. To this day, I can still remember the look of extreme pain and suffering on the face of the unfortunate woman, as she stoically struggled to shield her innocent children from the turmoil and tragedy that had befallen on them.

That evening at dinner I did not feel hungry. The harsh inequities of life that I had witnessed in the events of the day had shattered the innocence by which I viewed my comparative sheltered existence. I knew then unequivocally that I had to somehow, someday, be a part of something that would work to alleviate such misery amongst my fellow men.

Over 4 decades later, still a student of life, my understanding to date is derived, apart from the influence of Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Tibetan and Chinese ancestry inherited from my forebears, from a compilation of writings, conversations and observations learned from many cultures, traditions, religions, and from both Eastern and Western philosophies. I have found that the common denominator in what I have learned is that only collectively in Oneness can we alleviate the ills that exist around us. After all, hunger, disease, homelessness and despair know no bounds and thus affect all races, all colors, all castes, and all creeds. In essence, we are each a part of the cause, and therefore too, a part of the solution.

Our challenge then is to awaken to our true potential for goodness and greatness, and to realize that change first begins with us. In so doing, we will find that the great heights of love and compassion engendered will infuse in us a deeper sense of caring and commitment and ultimately lead us all to a higher purpose and a grander vision – one that better serves the needs of all – in our one small world.

Shawn will be appearing at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, on Sunday, January 16th, 2005 at 2 P.M.

Natural Awakenings Magazine, January 2005