‘Deva’

A review by Abhi, courtesy of Osho Viha Magazine, of Deva Premal’s newly released album (launched 12 October 2018).

May I have the courage to dive deeper into the chant, to become totally transparent and open, so the light and benediction of the sacred mantras can come through me untainted and unobstructed.
Hari OM.”
– Deva Premal

The very first time I heard this wonderful new recording from Deva Premal I knew it would be a great survival resource for these very strange times we are living through.

For not only is the new album ‘Deva’ extremely beautiful, I also experience perhaps more than ever before the amazing power that mantras have to bring one to a state of profound stillness and to open the door to the inner sanctuary of silence. As I let the beauty of these mantras wash over me I felt a deep sense of peace and freedom from the crazy world and from my own busy mind.

The best part about this is that I was not in a meditation or a spiritual satsang or even in the quiet of my own home when this bliss landed. I was stuck in a traffic jam on a busy rush-hour freeway. Which goes to show that with the right mantras and the right mantra goddess, bliss can happen anywhere.

I love that this collection of mantras is called simply ‘Deva’, for this is her story. This recording is alive with the many aspects of Deva’s relationship with mantras and chants, from the influence and teachings of her father, her many years of musical partnership with Miten, her love for Osho, and her deep friendship with beloved Manose. All these blessings are here in this delightful mix, this celebration of Deva’s love and devotion for this ancient form, these amazing mantras.

This is the music that has been growing like a seed in her heart and soul for many years and now has blossomed in such a beautiful way. When Deva sings she becomes the mantra. These are not performances and Deva is not the performer. It is literally as though she has so embodied these mantras that now the Divine is singing the Divine.

Listening to Deva singing Sarva Mangala, a mantra that celebrates and honors the Sacred Feminine, one can hear a calling, an invitation to soften the heart and bring a deep love and receptivity for all life. This mantra is said to bring ultimate peace and a powerful vibration of divine energy to the seeker and a refuge from worldly affairs. It has great relevance in these times when there is so much monkey-mind male mischief on the planet.

Deva once said that the Gayatri Mantra purifies the listener as well as the singer. For many years she has sung, lived and breathed life into the Gayatri and has been blessed and has blessed us with this beautiful mantra. Now she has given birth to the long form of the Gayatri. Deva sings this long form of the Beloved Gayatri with such prayerful devotion, tenderness and respect as only one with a deep understanding of this mantra’s power could do.

One of the great surprises on this album is the inclusion of Buddham Sharanam, also known as The Gachchhamis. When we were on the Ranch in Oregon we would always end the working day with this powerful chant. Together we would bow down to the Buddha, the Sangha and the Dhamma. It was a beautiful way to come together and always a great reminder of why we were there. On this recording, Deva has kept the chant just the way we sang it in that crazy, chaotically wonderful time.

Whenever I see Deva and Miten in concert or at a retreat I am always touched by the love and respect and the unspoken musical communication between everyone concerned. Now on this new album one can hear how this deep understanding, love and caring for each other can result in such exquisite music.

Deva is very blessed to have Anoushka Shankar joining her to play Sitar on her father Ravi Shankar’s composition “Prabhujee.” Miten sings beautifully with Deva on several mantras and Bansuri master Manose blesses everything with his amazing musicianship and his delightful presence.

Joby Baker, the multi-talented instrumentalist and producer, brings musical genius and graceful contributions to every chant and mantra. Joby is such a heartful and intelligent musician – his playing and production supports the whole sound and complements Deva’s voice to perfection.

So if you crave some silence and beauty in your life, I recommend a daily dose of Deva. Turn off the weary litany of worldly woes and let this divine music touch your heart and open the portal to the sanctuary of silence and allow yourself to bathe in the healing power of these mantras.

I can’t promise it will change your life, but it might very well bring blessings and lightness to your day.

I will let Deva have the last word:

This planet is definitely shaking and trembling right now. It is an amazing time to be alive because it has become very clear that we cannot expect peace to be delivered from the outside, we have to find it within. For me the mantras are a gateway into peace – and it is my honor to share them.”

Review by Abhi (Sw Deva Abhinandan), first published in Viha Connection Magazine – oshoviha.org/magazine

The album is available from oshoviha.org – itunes.apple.com – amazon.com – amazon.co.uk – amazon.de

More info on devapremalmiten.com

Deva Premal’s parents chanted the Gayatri Mantra to her while she was still in the womb and it was her bedtime lullaby for years after. She grew up in Germany, becoming a sannyasin when she was 11, and later lived at the Osho Ashram in Pune. There she met Miten, who was organizing music for evening discourse. They became partners in love and music and have been offering concerts around the world ever since, plus releasing a string of best-selling albums, including the new release ‘Deva’. devapremalmiten.com

Related Media Watch
Deva Premal’s New Album – Meghan Rabbitt of Yoga Journal sat down with the singer to talk about how she got her start as a musician, what singing mantras means to her, and why the new long-form Gayatri mantra is like medicine for the soul. Published September 17, 2018.