Prophesy [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

Nitin Sawhney

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 22, 2002)
• Original Release Date: June 18, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: V2
• ASIN: B00005UKM9
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #103,421 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
With Beyond Skin, Nitin Sawhney set a high bar for global fusion music. Now he's raised it with Prophesy, taking advantage of a larger budget to bring in Indian strings, a South African choir, a Chicago cabbie, soul singer Terry Callier, and Nelson Mandela, among many other things. But what could have been an awkward grab bag of sound comes together under Sawhney's sure hands and inspired songwriting. He makes the unusual work. On "Sunset," for instance, flamenco and rai meet Brazil, and the vocals of Cheb Mami and Nina Miranda work to glorious effect. Trilok Gurtu contributes some stunning kannakol (vocal percussion) to "Breathing Light," while Natacha Atlas beguiles with her singing on "Acquired Dreams." But this is more than a collection of great tunes--it's an album that ponders the way our world and civilization is developing, asking questions and challenging assumptions while still delivering some sumptuous grooves and melodies. It all culminates with the title track, on which Sawhney's acoustic guitar and the vocals of the London Community Gospel Choir provide a piece of quiet, hypnotic intensity. Thought provoking, intelligent, and mature, Prophesy is the work of someone who deserves to be called an artist. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars breathing light through a global groove, January 22, 2002

By	John W. Warren (Santa Monica, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Nitin Sawhney continues the explorations last heard in the masterful "Beyond Skin." For this album, he traveled the globe recording sounds and singers from Brazil, Africa, India, the UK, and elsewhere. Each of Sawhney's albums seems to concentrate on a particular theme, and this one is the interconnectedness/disconnect in modern society and the role of technology . . . The theme, however, is mainly a frame for Sawhney's musical explorations, which range from techno to classical, from Indian ragas to Brazilian sambas to drum and bass. There are a couple of tracks here that I could have done without--or that warrant only a listen or two--but the bulk of the album gets deeper and more meaningful with repeated listenings. Highlights are Natacha Atlas' vocals gracing "Acquired Dreams"; Nina Miranda (from Smoke City), rai great Cheb Mami, and flameco guitarist Jose Miguel Carmona mezmerizing in "Moonrise"; and the beautiful instrumental "Breathing Light" that captivates with the English Chamber Orchestra, Trilok Gurtu's spoken percussion, and Nelson Mandela's spoken words. Nitin is a truly global genious. Get this disk, get "Beyond Skin" and explore his east/west groove.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible introduction to fusion/world music, April 13, 2003

By	Vishesh Narayen (Naperville, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Except for a few tracks, this album is pure genius.

The first track, Sunset, is a good introduction to the kind of music you'll be hearing in the rest of the CD. A mixture of English and Hindi-dialect vocals, it is both beautiful and relaxing.

Track 8, Breathing Light is my favorite track, mixing together violins, piano and fast-paced rhythms. I haven't met anyone who did not like this song.

Track 15, Prophesy is a pseudo-tribal rhythm that starts slow and picks up with detailed vocals that accompany the even-more-detailed instruments. The pace at which the background singers chant at the end is incredible, almost too fast too pick up. Listen carefully.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The New Sound for New Music for the New Century, March 6, 2002

By	C.B. Derrick (From the 2.20 Aspect Ratio) - See all my reviews

Prophesy is a stellar disc, and as my first forary in Sawhney's mucis this is a delightful jumping off point - laced with complex rhythms, serio-aggressive beats and penetrating deep lyrics Sawhney's work blends music styles and genres in a melange that is his own.

As a fan of groups like 4 Hero, Nicola Conte and Zero 7, Prophecy fits handsomely into my music rotation and it will yours too.