Return to Chang'an

Hello!

This my fourth solo album and perhaps my most musically adventurous. I have taken the story of the 7th century Buddhist monk, Xuanzang, and his 10,000 mile, 14 year journey from China to India along the Silk Road and put it to music. The music uses scales and instrumentation from three parts of the ancient world, coinciding with the monk's journey from China through Persia and finally into India, reflecting the exciting story.

Speaking of the Story:

The Silk Road Journey of Xuanzang

Xuanzang (pronounced, Juan-tsang), was a Buddhist monk from 7th century China who found discrepancies in Chinese Buddhist scriptures of that time. Because he was a devout man with a meticulous, discerning mind, he decided to leave the city of Chang'an and make the journey to India, where he would return with copies of more accurate scriptures and put to rest the inaccuracies of the existing texts in China.

Xuanzang knew that he was to embark on a perilous journey, across mountain ranges, deserts and kingdoms that were unknown to his culture. Additionally, he knew he would have to deal with thieves and bandits looking for neophytes traveling the Silk Road. But his faith, resolve and devotion to Buddhism was stronger than any of these obstacles.

Ignoring the emperor's decree that anyone caught leaving the empire would be put to death, Xuanzang struck out at night with a guide who ultimately turned on him and tried to kill him while he slept.

For fourteen years, this intrepid Buddhist monk journeyed through China, Persia and India, until he retrieved, copied and translated authentic Buddhist scriptures and returned them to China. Although the emperor was furious that Xuanzang defied his decree, he welcomed him upon his return offering him an ambassador's position. Being a humble man, Xuanzang politely refused the position in lieu of translating the thousands of texts he brought back with him from India. The emperor built a temple for him and enlisted 100 monks to assist with the translations.

Xuanzang's story profoundly touches me at a deep level, as it is an example of his search for truth. He risked his life countless times on the treacherous Silk Road, in order that others would be able to appreciate and share in his passion for accuracy and perfection of the Dharma.

-Tony Garone 2013

ABOUT Tony Garone

Tony's music is eclectic and has a strong melodic and somtimes, exotic flavor. His earlier work with the progressive rock band, Heresy, helped develop his songwriting and singing talents.

His later solo work has generated great interest in various and sometimes exotic places. "The Epic of Gilgamesh," his musical interpretation of the 5000 year old Sumerian tale, was made into a play at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and the music was used in a student film from the University of Washington. The CD is listed as supplemental material in many universities around the US, and has listings among the Assyrian people of Central Asia. The song, "We Are All One," from that release, was selected by none other than Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull as the "Rubbing Elbows" song contest winner, and was performed live by Tony with Ian Anderson and his band at the Orpheum theater in Phoenix, AZ in 2003.

His second release, "Big Star Way," found it's way on the Art Bell Radio show, "Coast to Coast," where the song, "My Little Grey" was chosen as bumper music from the "Emerging Artists" contest on that international radio program.

His third release, "Ahab," is a musical tribute to the great American novel, "Moby Dick."

His new release, "The Silk Road Journey of Xuanzang," is an excursion into ancient Chinese, Persian and Indian music. The music was used in the fascinating documentary, "A Journey of the Heart," by Ravi Verma.