Sing Out! The Folk Song Magazine: Deva Premal: Deva Premal Sings the Moola Mantra

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Deva Premal: Deva Premal Sings the Moola Mantra

Derek Beres

DEVA PREMAL Deva Premal Sings the Moola Mantra White Swan 14012

It is often stated that of all the paths of yoga--including jnana (knowledge), asana (postures), laya (absorption through meditation) and karma (selfless service)--that the quickest and most effective route is bhatki, the yoga of devotion. And the practice of the bhakti yogi is mantra, chanting. When the singer expresses his or her inner feelings through song, the lyrics are believed to recycle and filter back into the yogi. Vocalist Deva Premal and longtime partner/ musician Miten have been practicing this art together for more than two decades, selling over a half-million albums to a community enamored with her penetrating style and his tasteful accompaniment. The Moola Mantra, considered a root chant in India--it is a foundational offering that carries much karmic weight (or, in a yogic viewpoint, weightlessness)--comprises the latest outing by this duo. The five parts represent one "song," as chanting and other devotional arts are not so concerned about length of performance as much as integrity and feeling. And this disc has plenty of both. Joined by a roster of outstanding musicians, including kirtanist Jai Uttal and mutli-instrumentalist Benjy Wertheimer, Premal's heartfelt performance is the pole by which the bansuri, dotar, piano and tablas dance. It is a quiet and engaging experience meant to invoke reflection in the listener. The entirety of the mantra lasts just four lines, yet the manner by which this cast weaves the instrumentation and the ebbs in her lyrical flow never wavers. In the art of mantra recitation, repetition is key. The longer one can sustain the idea--and in this particular chant, it is finding truth and bliss through the liberation of the individual--the more effective it becomes. While this seems counterintuitive to the normal short-format of songs with hooks and verses, the devotional music explored here is meant for connection to an inspired source. Premal and Miten are masters in this craft; and through their dialing up and tuning in, take us along for the ride.