In 2010, Alan Scheurman made a pilgrimage to the Mexican site of Wirikuta, the sacred desert where peyote originates. While there, he was given the name Santiparro, which means "the lens that sees many things not usually seen"; now, Scheurman's prepping his debut LP under the moniker, True Prayer, and it'll see release on February 24 via Gnome Life. This chilled-out folk cut, "The New Baktun," features contributions from TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone.
"In December of 2012 I had the opportunity to spend the month in Mexico and Guatemala, guided by elders of the Maya and joined by indigenous leaders from all around the globe," Scheurman said in an email to FADER. "We were celebrating the close of the 13 Baktun cycle, marking an end to the long count calendar of 5,125 years while simultaneously opening the door to what the Maya referred to as the Fifth Sun. Additionally, I had been training for around 5 years with a shaman, trying to get a glimpse into the meaning of this new era we were about to enter. The lyrics in this song reflect on the wisdom shared by the elders I traveled and studied with then, with regards to how to embrace the vibration of 'The New Baktun.' There's also a nod to a closing hymn that I love from the Santo Daime tradition in the chorus that Kyp sings on."
Lead image: Indy Genao