Nada Brahma [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED]

Sheila Chandra

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 23, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 1985
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Narada
• ASIN: B000056O20
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #277,615 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sheila Chandra's fourth Indipop album, released in 1985 in a limited edition before she took a five-year hiatus, sets the stage for the ethereal vocal style she explored during the 1990s. Comprised of five songs, Nada Brahma spotlights a younger Chandra exploring numerous vocal techniques. The 27-minute title track showcases her lush vocals in an intriguing (if loosely connected) series of vocal maneuvers--ethereal streams of sound, appealing Indian melodies, and staccato-syllable dances. This is beguiling, organic ambient music with occasional accompaniment by keyboards, percussion, or other instruments.

The other four tracks are more rhythmically grounded examples of Anglo-Indian fusion, including the gently hypnotic atmospheric pop of "The Awakening" and the energetic dance pulse of "Question the Answer," which features Chandra singing in English. While this early album may not have the flow or cohesiveness of later efforts like AboneCroneDrone, Nada Brahma spotlights a heavenly voice expanding its expressiveness and is recommended for fans of Chandra and of beautiful vocal music. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars early Sheila, May 20, 2001

By	Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

The first track of this CD is an inventive exploration of different vocal sounds...Sheila writes in the insert: "The musical story of 'Nada Brahma' ('Sound is God') was a perfect vehicle for me as a writer and singer to illustrate a great variety of Indian and pop vocal styles"...and it set the stage for work she'd be doing a decade later.

The rest of the tracks are "Indi-pop" with a steady beat..."The Awakening", "In Essence", and "Question the Answer" were written by Steve Coe and Martin Smith, and the best of the 3 is perhaps "Question the Answer" which has lyrics (in English) and some marvelous instrumentation...but my favorite track is "Raqs", an up-tempo precussive piece penned by Sheila.

This is an interesting CD if you like world music, and it's an example of what this creative artist has done in one of the many phases of her career.