While working on other projects, Darkest Heart and Edge of Fear, Shelly was trying to find a place for simpler compositions leaning more towards simpler, organic Middle Eastern percussion for meditative, dancing and dance instruction purposes. After working with BayouShimmy on several projects the decision was made to create a production company, eventually called Blue Lotus Productions. The name Blue Lotus Society came from an interest in Egyptian Myth and how parts of the culture were heavily influenced by the use of the Blue Lotus flower. It seemed to be a symbol of spiritual focus among other things and representative of the feel and the idea of the music presented under this title.
Gulf Coast Bellydance, Blue Lotus Society’s first album was the result of conversations and desires about a classroom album for Bellydance; something based on separating rhythm from melodies and gradually combining the two into a clear teaching tool for not only dance, but music as well. Shelly hopes to follow Gulf Coast Bellydance with a trance album in the next year then another classroom album based upon further input from teachers of multiple ethnic dance forms.
Blue Lotus Society acknowledges the many aspects of the music of the areas once occupied by the ancient Egyptian Empire and all the lands that it still influences today; from the cavernously implausible fantasy music the Egyptian Empire inspired to the simple solo drum songs of an Arabic musician. While drawing on multi-faceted influences provided by diverse cultural resources, Blue Lotus Society simultaneously draws on traditions of its own birthplace of South Louisiana creating a truly unique fusion that never lacks a danceable beat. As a secondary mission, Blue Lotus Society believes in the importance of attempting to retain the feel of live performances in all its recordings; hoping to provide the mover a path to re-connect to the musician.
Blue Lotus Society is Shelly A. Plaisance, Jr.