Devotion

Rasa

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 11, 2000)
• Original Release Date: April 11, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hearts of Space
• ASIN: B00004SBWU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,965 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

While an assortment of artists sing in wordless phrases dictated by their muses, Kim Waters and Hans Christian of Rasa turn to ancient Indian devotional texts for vocal inspiration. With accompaniment from cello, sarangi (Indian violin), and sitara, the duo puts forth an exceptional world fusion unheard of in the New Age genre. What's more, there isn't a song on Devotion that falters in form, technique, or ecstasy. The music comes from an undisturbed place, shared with listeners without sentimentality or pretense. --Karen K. Hugg

Amazon.com

Between their name, the album title, and the cover art of embracing lovers done in that flat-perspective, Indian style of painting, Rasa's Devotion looks like one of those New Age Indian sacred chant albums, and in a way it is. But Indian devotional music has rarely sounded this sensual. These are traditional songs, but performed in a modern, world-fusion style. Singer Kim Waters intones these hymns in a breathy, embracing soprano, falling through these ancient melodies like silk running through your fingers. Her voice is surrounded by lush arrangements from Hans Christian who plays cellos, sarangi (Indian violin), sitara (small sitar), and Swedish keyed fiddle, echoing Waters's melodies with serpentine refrains. With help from percussionist Greg Ellis of Vas, pianist Ira Stein, and a host of Indian musicians, Rasa attains the meaning of their Sanskrit name, which loosely translates as "essence." --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Generally satisfying, July 31, 2000

By A Customer

A generally solid debut CD from the group Rasa. "Devotion" is easy on the ears, and probably well- suited to meditation or relaxation activities. Lead singer Kim Waters has a wonderfully melodic voice, and Hans Christian is a well-known musician in the genre. While the songs on the CD are all quality recordings, professionally done, what is missing are any up-tempo pieces as might be found on a CD by Dead Can Dance or Vas, and as a result the songs tend to blend one into the other after a while. Also because of the sameness of the songs, there's little differentiation in the emotions evoked by the music. So while I like the songs that are on here quite a bit, it's a CD you have to be in a certain mood for to appreciate fully.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Divine Expression of Sweet Heavenly bliss, November 20, 2000

By	Matthew Ellis (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This Divine piece of musical sweetness is more than a spiritual masterpiece, but an arrangment of the most ancient of Holy songs of God. It is only natural for a person who's listening to it's melodies to be captivated and expierence the greatest of spiritual peace.

Rasa's mediums, Kim Waters & Hans Christian, not only present these Divine Lelas (stories) they smooth these already magical songs into a new symphony, never expressed in Eastern music of India. Fantasticly Kim's voice, soring like a celestrial spirit, recants the ancient and divine names of God, the sanskrit kirtan of the Song Divine. Sanskrit, the most divine of all languages, passed down eternally, is the original Divine Language spoken by all the great Saints and Yogi's. It's magical power possesses the sweet bliss that God is and this album opens your heart and mind to hear that Intoxicating love that God is singing eternally.

Let this album be a part of your spiritual devotion, drown in it's angelic song, it's potential for meditations, yoga, and daily devotions, is endless. The most sweetest of music from India!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars lovely, lyrical, and lack-luster, April 6, 2003

By	Kevin Conare (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Kim Water's voice is very pretty. Hans Christian's instrumentals are wonderfully subtle and create the real East-West fusion here. Though I can feel their devotion, I am much less enthusiastic than many of the other reviewers.

Bengali Vaishnava songs, the inspiration for these songs, are known for ecstatic devotion, intense longing, and/or deep pathos. You won't find that here. Instead, a meditative exotic atmosphere replaces the soul's passionate call to the divine. Very spiritual, but not capturing the "rasa" I would have expected.

Most of these melodies in this album are based on the melodies and interpretations of that the Radha Krishna Temple(s) and George Harrison produced around 1970. These are all really great. I am a little surprised that none of the editors' comments acknowledge the source material and inspiration for these songs.