Customer Reviews

Celtic Ragas

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This engaging and often startingly beautiful instrumental CD speaks of an ancient kinship that links the Celts and the peoples of southern Asia. To be sure, it isn't easy to reconcile two very different musical traditions -- Celtic music emphasizes harmony, while Indian music emphasizes melody -- but these two very talented musicians (and an equally talented backup ensemble) explore the possible intersections in a number of intriguing ways. A wonderful CD to share for late-night snuggling, reflection or meditation, or serious listening with fellow musicians who wish to explore nuanced intersections between vastly different musical genres.

Its a bit wierd in thinking about it but it sounds very nice. The main instruments are the Sarod and the Guitar.

The best tracks are #2 (Mists of Ruantallain), #6 The Goddess, and #7 Wandering Way (very very lovely).

In general the temptation to "over produce" the music by adding too many instruments has been avoided (with a couple of exceptions).

The individual tracks are actually quite short (in comparison to most Indian Ragas which can last from an hour to three hours). I'd say this record is 70% Celtic and 30% Indian classical. It works for me...

I love international music that fuses divergent styles, but often it comes out noisy, unharmonious or off balance. This is a perfect blend of two of my favorite types of music. Tends toward the quiet and meditative, rather than rowdy or danceable, but it's not bland wallpaper music, either.

In the whirling of joyful melodies a sound is born.
It whispers: "Greetings, world! Greetings, love!
What a happiness to be here!
Oh, how I longed for all this!..."

This music is really a talk of two close friends. Indian sarod and a guitar. Indian and Celtic music. They are together. They are one whole. The alchemy of Divine music. This music wraps you up. It uplifts and inspires. It delicately helps your life energy to grow strong and takes you high above, in the World of Spirit, in the All-human World. This is the World where there are no East and West, little countries and large ambitions, and where is the All-human Unity, which is beyond Earth. In this Unity East and West are together.

They are together in this planet, being rendered by wars, conflicts and foolishness of people. And Chinmaya Dunster together with Vidroha Jamie let us feel all this by their airy, full of energy and inspired music. They help us to feel and sense the very Life.

What can be more precious than the very Life on this planet? What can be more beautiful than Love? This Love is completely reflected in the music of two perfect musicians. It comes by a strong jet. It alloys together the Celtic and the Indian music, the heritage of two great peoples. It alloys this all together in an equal flow. And we can feel that all the music is "poured" on this planet from the one source. Time to come back... Time to be together... Time to live full life.

Thanks to the two remarkable musicians: Chinmaya Dunster and Vidroha Jamie! This music of Joy and Love weakens heart, fills us with life and let us feel that in this world exists other reality - the Reality of Spirit. This Reality is the real, the largest precious!

Serge Kozlovsky
[...]

If you can believe it i was drifting off to sleep with the music channel on the cable TV when i first heard "The Goddess" and was stunned by the beautiful sound i was hearing. We often go to sleep by the music on our TV but i had to write down their names in the middle of the night. I am glad to have experienced such wonderful music. Oh what a lovely sleep i had indeed!