Sacred musicians and husband and wife, Govind Das and Radha’s new album Lunar Mantras is truly an ocean of grace, a sweet musical remedy of bhakti (devotional) medicine.
As the title suggests, the softness of the divine ma or mother energy is felt in every note.
Lunar Mantras features eight angelic melodies with different sentiments that allow listeners the space to dive into their own hearts. Every one of the sequential mantras builds on each other like an ancient creation story; the progression makes it the perfect backdrop for a yoga practice.
The album begins with Radha’s smooth and soulful voice on “Ganapati Om.” Then Lunar Mantras leads into a reggae version of the “Hanuman Chalisa;” Govind Das sings the 40 verses with an attitude like wind straight from Hanuman leaping across the ocean in service to Ram while guiding us into the words “Sri Ram Jai Ram” accompanied by dub beats luring the chant directly into our hearts.
In “Jai Ma,” we hear a hauntingly beautiful, pure goddess energy blended with bluesy vocals and percussion tones, reminding us of the beauty of having a strong mother figure. The celebratory “Maha Mantra” contains the nuances of a sliding guitar and bells creating a deeply joyful well that can be felt even more clearly once the two voices enter accompanied by a sweet violin.
Clips from an India voyage are added for a sonic experience that is described simply in one word: MAGIC.
CD Review
Lunar Mantras
by Govind Das and Radha
Bhakti Yoga Shala
Reviewed by Ashley Wynn, a musician and yoga teacher. thegratefulyogi.com
