Customer Reviews

Sunyata

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A few months back, I started to delve into the musical genre generally called "New Age," but I was trying to get past New Age, past the typical soft music heard like mind candy in shopping malls and yoga classes. I wanted to find something deeper. My first experiences were with Dead Can Dance, which was quite a leap in my tastes, but I was immediately enthralled by them, and over time, bought every one of their CDs, discovering numerous other artists along the way. One day, I found Vas.

I was unsure, but Dead Can Dance fans were recommended to them. So, I bought "The Garden of Souls" and over time, grew to love it. Immediately, I went out and picked up "Offerings" and "Sunyata," to complete the collection. While I found Offerings to be okay, I fell in love with Sunyata, the group's debut album. I could not believe it--a CD that I could listen to over and over and over, and not get tired of. (Much like how I could get very tired of Dead Can Dance upon much repitition.) Every track on this CD is perfectly distinct. While the other two albums blend together into almost one melody--risking monotony at times--this had a new, but equally enthralling, track each break. I couldn't even begin to recommend a certain song--they are all magnificent. Azam Ali has that amazing talent of using her voice as an instrument. Much like Lisa Gerrard, she does not sing distinct lyrics, but in her own language, exuding so many emotions. And while Gerrard is amazing and I am a huge fan of hers, there are moments when Ali tops her. Greg Ellis, the group's own Brendan Perry, minus the droning singing (sorry for all the Dead Can Dance comparisons), is, for lack of a better description, one hell of a musician. He understands music from the East as much as he does music from the West. He blends an authentic Middle Eastern sound with a slight but not overwhelming American touch. There are moments when you could just fall into the music he creates. It's that amazing. The musical chemistry he has with Azam Ali is near perfection.

I couldn't recommend this CD enough. Of the three albums Vas has released so far (with more to come, I hope), this one is the very best, with Garden of Souls in a steady second, and Offerings in third. I recommend you buy all three CDs if you've heard Vas before, but if you're hoping to hear them at their finest and get a great first impression, I recommend Sunyata even more. You will not be disappointed, at all.

Listening to this music, particularly the songs "Refuge" and "Iman," felt like the loving caress of a sacred and holy presence. I love music, but rarely do I play the same music over and over again without eventually tiring of it. This music is enchanting and addictive without any detectable side effects except deep appreciation and a feeling of love welling up from my heart. Azam Ali and Greg Ellis have created a "top-ten" masterpiece in my collection. If you like female vocalization, hammered dulcimer, bendir, and a host of fine percussion instruments to achieve powerful melodic rhythms, this album is a must for you. I am grateful to these two souls for their accomplishment. Thank you.

This is my second CD from Vas. I found "Garden of Souls" to be more close to the sound of Dead Can Dance, though, yes Vas has their own sound.
On Sunyata, I found there was something very different...it seemed more pure, heartfelt, and Azam's voice was rich and an instrument in itself!
The Eastern melodies, and tribal drums and bells, were at once taking me to other countries, as well as to other times.
Some had a distinctly medieval flavor.
I found her voice exceptional, I actually radiated to it more then the sound Of Lisa in Dead Can Dance. Azam's voice has a higher, and more arabic quality then Lisa. I find Lisa's voice to be more Euro/celtic.
Something in the music just sounds more feminine...not in a soft way, but in a creative, earthy way.
I highly recomend it!

This is one of those rare CDs which makes me happy every time I hear it. Ali's voice is truly amazing, and Ellis' percussion is the perfect counterbalance to it. Very fresh sound, a gift to the world music community. If you like DCD or Sheila Chandra, this CD is a "must-have".

The rich, hypnotic voice(s) of singer Azam Ali and the percussive virtuosity of Greg Ellis combine to create an eclectic, ecstatic, eastern-inspired symphony of sound. Gentle but fascinating, Ellis's ever-changing percussive textures underlie Ali's structured, repetitive vocal chants, which are sung and overdubbed in non-linguistic syllables. "Free from the constraints of any written language," suggests Ali in the liner notes, "the voice is capable of sounds no instrument can create." And so it is. Ali, of Iranian and Indian heritage, also plays hammered dulcimer, and Ellis's list of exotic hand drums and other world percussion instruments reads like a language all its own. The resulting album, which is this duo's debut release, sounds like the collaboration of 10 performers rather than just two! "Sunyata" has it all and is well worth listening to--reverent and meditative, but exuding considerable tension, mystery and passion as well. Vas has two other similar albums out as of this writing: "Offerings" and "In the Garden of Souls", as well as the solo albums "Portals of Grace" and "Kala Rupa: Explorations in Rhythm" by Ali and Ellis respectively. If you like the work of Vas, you may also enjoy that of the duo Rasa.

If you could describe the most perfect musical experience, it would have to be Vas. Greg Ellis and Azam Ali create nothing less than magic. Azam blows away even Loreena McKennitt (Sorry Loreena, I'm still a major fan!!!) with her "wordless" style of singing (and stunningly beautiful voice) which pierces the spirit. Putting on candles and listening to these albums is the most tranquil and peaceful relaxation I've experienced in years. Others have described Greg's abilities far better than I could: masterfully tying East and West together. "Sunyata" is the best, with "In the Garden of Souls" a VERY close second. "Offerings" while following the other two is still a good album to have also.

This is an example of how talented musicians do not necessarily get the recognition that's due. The fusion of eastern classical tones with western percussion has created a nectar for the soul.

I have listened to this album for hours and it has never grown old!

This is a great album for those who enjoy listening to Music with an exotic twist to its haunting sounds. Mixed with Persian and Indian like instrumentals, the Vocals penetrate your thoughts leaving you with an image of days long past our time.

This CD is really amazing. With voice and percussion only Ali and Ellis make a music of the world, for the world. I highly recommend this CD to play over and over. Unfortunately, their second release 'Offerings' is less inspired that this one.

This must be what "OM" sounds like. Azam Ali's celestial vocals and Greg Ellis's exotic percussion transport the listener to a secret realm of stars and moonlight. It touched me deeply like a memory of something that I had forgotten long ago, or like the timeless state before birth. Absolutely entrancing music for the Soul.