"Awaken is a CD that deliciously invites its audience to enter a space where beauty, sensuality, poetry, and world music are re-interrupted and redefined. It is an  album where ancient Hawaiian chants, Jazz, Eastern European Klezmer, and Latin rhythms are all seamlessly interwoven into a new fusion that is both intimate and danceable. Risa Kaparo manages to capture the real feel of a woman’s tongue. She sings, chants, speaks, and caresses the listener into a twenty first century vision of music where spirit and body meet."

- Gail Shafarman, Ph.D. Psychologist, Author and Poet

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the wonderful musicians with whom I had the grace to work: Alex Acuna, percussion; Ernie Adams, percussion; Baligashma Xylophone Group (Uganda); Sophie Barker, vocals; Charlie Bisharat, violin; Eliseo Borrero, bass; Jimmy Branly, cajon; Bridgman, drums; Catto, keyboard; Vinnie Colaiuta, drums; John Cruz, guitar and vocals; Puna Dawson, Hawaiian chant; Melissa Dittman, vocals; Steve Dubey, trumpet; Richard Fammerée, guitar; Steve Gibons, violin; Caroline Glass, accordion; Steve Hashimoto, bass; Jeff Hedberg, flugelhorn; Robert “Baabe” Irving III, piano, keyboards, programming, and choral arrangement; Jennifer Kutler, choral arrangement, Dolly Kanekuni, vocals; Keyelitsha (S.Africa); Larry Klein, bass; Iki Levy, percussion; Isha Molinea Lewis, vocals; Bob Long, piano; Diane Madison, vocals; Pete McNeil, drums; Paula Miller, vocals; Mustapha Tettey Addy Drummers (Ghana); Omashar, keyboards; Adero Neely, vocals; Jose Prieto, vocals; Mike Rowe, keyboards; David Ricketts, drums, e-bow, keyboards, piano; Cameron Stone, cello; Strunz & Farah, acoustic guitars; David Tickle, keyboards, drums, bass, programming; Tracey Urchal, vocals; Dave Wilder, bass; Peter Woods, guitar.

The wonderful friends without whose support this work would never have seen fruition: Ralph Adamson, Larry Boucher, Charles Davis, Cathy Dreyfuss, Kelly Fidei, Richard Garcia, Joan Giguerre, Ray Grasse, Rory Kaplan, Jennifer Kutler, Emigdio Marabotto, Martin Mazzanti, Trevor Mitchell, Bram Morris, Holly Near, Craig Parks, Lisa Rafel, Rhiannon, Lennie Rose, Rob Ruccia, Gail Shafarman, David Surrenda, Judith Wiker, Ellen Wolf, and most especially to Stephen Pressling for bringing the dream into appearance. And to many more dear ones who I hold in my heart with gratefulness…you know who you are.