The Essence

Deva Premal | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 1, 1998)
• Original Release Date: June 1, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: White Swan
• ASIN: B00005QB42
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,831 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #19 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > General
  • #23 in Music > Indie Music > New Age > General
  • #87 in Music > New Age > Meditation

Editorial Reviews

Deva Premal: The Essence is a beautiful work by, guess who... Deva Premal. Deva Premal was born in Germany in 1970 of a mystic/artist father and a musically talented mother. Premal was taught classical music and raised in an atmosphere of mantras and spiritual discipline. By the time Premal was five years old, she was already chanting daily the Gayatri Mantra, the most ancient mantra known to human beings and the opening track on The Essence. Deva Premal's vocals on The Essence are supported by her partner Miten on vocals and guitar, Raj Rishi on drums, hand percussion and keyboards, Maneesh on piano and keyboards, and Reiff Junior on guitar for the song "Sammasati." With her exquisite voice, Deva Premal creates music of beauty and music that makes you feel good day after day.- Deva Premal: The Essence represents this amazing artist really well...she was born to this music. The opening track on Deval Premal: The Essence is the ancient Gayatri Mantra, the oldest mantra known to human kind.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I never get tired of this one..., November 27, 2003

By 

Circejane (Michigan) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Essence (Audio CD)

I have a large CD collection, including many, many New Age-type CDs. This is one that I come back to, again and again, in a hundred different situations. It soothes me on a plane, it makes wonderful background music for almost anything except housecleaning, and just generally makes me feel good.

A diverse collection of people have heard this and loved it, from my mother-in-law to neighbor kids. I played it continuously when my grandmother was ill and dying, and while I'm not sure what it did for Grandma, all the caretakers and family members said that it brought them great peace.

I'm buying "Love Is Space" today as a gift for my mother, who also loved "The Essence". If you are looking for something with a beat and a variety of tunes, look elsewhere, but if you want hauntingly beautiful healing music that washes over you in soft waves, then buy Deva Premal.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Ethereal and Uplifting, March 1, 2006

By 

Dr. Richard G. Petty (Atlanta) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Essence (Audio CD)

For years now I have encouraged people to use play lists to provide a soundtrack for work, recreation and contemplation. If done properly, they can quickly put your mind and subtle systems into perfect alignment to carry out whatever you want or need to do. Constructing play lists has become so much easier with the advent of the iPod. One of the fun things about iTunes is being able to see how many times you have played a particular song.

I was a little surprised to see that I had played the crown jewel of this collection - the Gayatri Manta - well over a hundred times over the last five years or so. Deva Premal's interpretation of this famous piece is extraordinarily fine, as is the entire album. It is almost impossible not to be uplifted by her amazing voice, which is rich, resonant and deepened by the most extraordinary sub-harmonics. Indeed if you are not, it may be a helpful pointer that something is not going quite right in your body or in your life, and that it's time to get some guidance about how to help yourself.

So much more than music, this is sound therapy.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Cher, February 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Essence (Audio CD)

"My favorite CD to do yoga to is Deva Premal's 'The Essence'. As a matter of fact I drive my teacher crazy because it's the only one I want to listen to! I can't wait for the new one to come out!"

Cher, Academy Award Winning Actress