Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/217566
art & soul MUSIC Jamie Catto & Alex Forster Donna De Lory Internal: Music for Dissolving The Unchanging T his evocative collaboration reflects our deepest emotions—sadness and ecstasy, fear and courage—and the unchanging space in which they swirl. A compelling combination of electronic and organic world music, Internal brings us a powerful complement for movement or body-based practices. Catto is a founding member of Faithless, whose greatest hits album was the fastest-selling dance album of all time in 2005. An audiovisual adventurer, Forster produces rich soundscapes that cross boundaries and fuse traditional acoustic and progressive electronic styles. Guest artists Lévon Minassian on duduk and Indian vocalists Revati Sakalkar and Nilesh Shinde enhance this top-notch recording. Underscoring the music is kinetic percussion, along with hang, sarod, lap steel guitar, sax, marimba, flute, clarinet and dulcimer. The album began as music to discharge grief or pain and became an environment to contain us when we enter that dissolving space. Haunting, penetrating and ultimately freeing, it goes right to the heart. (Sounds True) —Lloyd Barde Sheela Bringi Incantations singer, songwriter, producer and musician, Donna De Lory is one of the best-known, most dynamic performers in the yoga/kirtan/conscious performance genre today. Her music is influenced by Indian devotional music, Sanskrit mantras, Western pop, North African grooves and an array of international influences. De Lory's ability to create conscious music blending move-your-body beats makes her something of a kirtan crossover singer, someone capable of bringing the genre to a larger mainstream audience. Many of the tracks on The Unchanging are meditations on the recent passing of the singer's father, renowned session pianist and producer Al De Lory. "I'm really honoring him with this album," said De Lory. "It's about how my father's death affected my whole spiritual path. When you go through that transition with someone who was one of the most important people in your life, it's a blessing and deeply transformative experience." The Unchanging boasts a bevy of musical talent, including mixmaster Kevin Killen (U2, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Elvis Costello), bassist Tony Levin (Gabriel, King Crimson, John Lennon) drummer Jerry Marotta (Gabriel, Costello, Paul McCartney) guitarist Jerry Leonard (David Bowie), drummer Dave Allen (Michelle Branch) and producer Mac Quayle. The production also weaves in the musicianship of tabla master Girish, bansuri flute virtuoso Manose and bassist Mark Gorman. Favorite cuts on the album: "Gayatri Mantra," "The Unchanging," "Praying For Love" (awesome track), and a great rendition of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord." Rock on, Donna! —Paul Andrews Govind Das & Radha B ansuri and harmonium player and vocalist Sheela Bringi has embedded herself as an integral part of the Southern California yoga and classical Indian communities over the past decade. Having collaborated with numerous artists, including Karsh Kale, Masood Ali Khan and Gaura Vani, the time for her debut had come. Incantations is her take on a number of mantras and original compositions, often crafted with her producer and longtime friend Clinton Patterson. The result is splendid: the textures of her instruments and vocals, as well as her gorgeous harp playing set against Patterson's trumpet on the exquisite "Peacock" and "Saraswati," show why she has wowed the numerous kirtans and festivals where she's performed. The upbeat "Raja Ram" and "The Three-eyed One" create the perfect balance to the soft intonations of her more quiet work. A heartfelt and beautiful debut from an artist from whom we'd expect nothing less. (ShaktiSonics Music) —Derek Beres 32 A Kirtan Live! G ovind Das and Radha have captured the spirit of kirtan in their new double disc album, Kirtan Live at Bhakti Yoga Shala. The sound quality of the recording made in their intimate Santa Monica studio is excellent, and the audience-musician interaction lends a power to the album that enlivens the spirit and brings courage to the listener. There's a lovely, extraordinarily slow version of "Sita Ram," and "Sri Ram Jai Ram" is also a standout cut. Radha (the female part of this duo) has a remarkable vocal range that comes across on her strong, shiver-inducing rendition of a "Funky Jai Ma." Her intensity is particularly powerful in the response she elicits from the live audience in the call and response. This is one of the best live kirtan albums of 2013. (Radha and Govindas) —PA wholelifetimesmagazine.com WLT-DEC-JAN-11-24-10pm.indd 32 11/24/13 10:34 PM