CD Review: Deva's 'Mantras For Precarious Times'

Deva Premal

Mantras For Precarious Times

Prabhu Music

With a focus on mantras, Deva Premal shares the power of the Vedic scriptures by unleashing physical energies within the body by awakening the energy channels (nadis) within us all. There are 108 nadis that meet in the heart. As a result, each of the seven mantras are chanted 108 times. Besides Deva's soothing voice and tanpura playing, she is joined by Manose on Bansuri flute, Miten on voice, and Kamal on keyboard and bells. The relaxing sounds and moods are a perfect invitation for yoga sessions. Moreover, any kind of de-stressing should involve Deva's mantras. The toll of the bells, airy sounds of the flute, and the Sanskrit lyrics of Deva's inspirational mantras are ideal for any person seeking saneness. The length of the tracks at eight minutes provides just enough time to master the recitations. Anyone interested in New Age, yoga, Buddhist, or chant music will find Mantras For Precarious Times to be an enthralling and informative part of their daily routine. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Nguyen Le's "Saiyuki"

Nguyen Le

Saiyuki

ACT Music

Saiyuki is a transglobal and cross-cultural product of Eastern and Western influences. Vietnam-born Nguyen Le's guitar work is lively, spirited, and rich in rhythm. He is joined by Japan's Mieko Miyazaki on the koto and shamisen. Mieko also provides vocals, along with Prabhu Edouard on tabla and percussion. A special guest star is India's bansuri flute-maestro, Hariprasad Chaurasia. The entire album has an improvisational feel with scatting vocals, ethereal synths, and progressive-jazz undertones. Anyone familiar with the superb guitar playing abilities of the late-Shawn Lane and his work with Jonas Hellborg will find comparisons to Nguyen Le's guitar and Prabhu's tabla playing. "Mina Zaki" is a track evocative of Thomas Newman's 1999 American Beauty film score. In an age when fusion often results in a musical "con-fusion", Saiyuki dispels this connotation and raises far above a typical fusion releases. The subtle nuances, various instrumentation, and haunting, but beautiful, rhythms, encapsulates the essence of the Asian, Indian, and Western-inspired album. ~ Matthew Forss