Surya

Such a beautiful recording. A primal listening experience. Inspiring, mesmerizing, enchanting. A profoundly spiritual and mystical sound.

Very pure and as opposed to the old masters, in excellent sound quality

This CD presents musical versions of Sanskrit mantras – but in no way is this a typical or ordinary album! Gopika is a well-known singer who has appeared on many other albums. Nadaka is a singer and instrumentalist. The most unusual component is his hybrid guitar/synthesizer and the strangely delightful sounds he’s able to produce with it. The album is intensely focused and purpose-driven. The topical focus is Surya, the Sun. The purpose of the music is a focus on light, energy, and vibrational healing. It is an uplifting and highly intense musical offering. Each song’s subtitle indicates the track’s purpose. The mantras chosen for inclusion represent a collection of Sun prayers. Track 4 “Navagraha” is a chant that honors all of the planets. Nadaka and Gopika sing some of the mantras in unison. Sometimes Gopika is a soloist. On Track 4 “Navagraha” they sing in harmony. The melodies are vaguely like traditional Hindu mantra song-chants, but lean toward Western melodic styling. The guitar-synth accompaniment transforms the ambience of the music into something quite different. It’s much more laid-back, calm and relaxing. The drumming is gentle and light rather than loudly commanding. The drummers, Ganesha Basavaraj and R. Rajkumar, display a great deal of restraint and control. The rhythmic elements are an elegant contribution to the overall texture. There’s some wonderful guitar-playing throughout the CD. Track 2 “Arogya Mantra” and Track 5 “Suryaashtakam” feature very fine demonstrations of Nadaka’s skill. Nadaka and Gopika have created a musical sound on this CD that makes Sanskrit mantras and Hindu ragas very accessible to Western listeners. Purely Hindu-styled recordings can often seem noisy and frantic to the Western ear. This musical team has upscaled the rhythmic elements, and added highly sophisticated guitar-synth accompaniment. The vocals are likewise soothing and beautifully sung. Gopika retains the vocal inflections and ornamentation usually found in mantra-singing, but uses them in careful moderation. The melodies showcase her exquisite phrasing and breath-control. There’s a careful balance of vocal material interspersed with lengthy instrumental interludes, as is provided in the long overture to Track 6 “Dakshinam.” The melody to this mantra-raga is familiar and much performed, but the accompaniment, slow tempo, and instrumental mix take the song to a whole new level. This is one of the most unusual and lovely mantra albums I’ve ever heard. The performers have transformed traditional material into something original and incredibly beautiful. This album is perfect for meditation and yoga practice, and suitable for alternative healing practitioners with sophisticated musical tastes. Absolutely exquisite!

Love it!

The recording Surya Chants of Light by the husband-and-wife chant duo from India, Nadaka & Gopika, is an excellent representation of modern chant music combining both traditional and contemporary elements. For example, this album brings together the best of traditional age-old mantra singing with modern acoustic guitar. But also added are raga elements (the sounds of old-school Indian instruments reproduced both acoustically and electronically using a special raga geet-tar). Surya means sun in sanskrit and that is the theme of the album -- the sun, sunlight and our inner light. This new-age-and-world-fusion recording is not only interesting to listen to, but also mesmerizing and trance-like which gives it great value when used for relaxation, meditation, yoga and other workouts, healing, massage therapy and mind stimulation.

The mystical spirit and exotic sounds of ancient India come to us once again in an accessible Western context, courtesy of Nadaka and Gopika. The duo creates entrancing atmospheres, with Gopika and Nadaka's impassioned, heartfelt vocals and Nadaka's raga guitar and guitar synthesizer providing the focal point through which the traditional songs are revitalized in a contemporary setting. Rounding out the alluring sounds are Keshava on tabla, Karthick Iyer on violin, Ganesh Basavaraj on tabla and percussions, and R. Rajkumar on gatham and percussion sampling. If you're looking for a modern introduction to classical Indian music, this is a good place to start.

Bliss! Gopikas translation of chants and Sanskrit speaks to ones heart! I listen to this CD almost daily. Hari Om, Karen