Padma

padma previ is a yoga chanteuse of the highest order, who achieves the divinely sacred without worry of straying from strict devotional music formats. she first got a taste for this cross-pollination on a visit to mumbai, where she soaked up the diverse musical styles on display and became determined to bring them all to her own music as she began a practice of deep self-exploration. for divine visions, she confidently blends yoga chant with world beat, middle eastern, and even pop to create an original and beguiling sound, creating a distinctly personal yet completely universal musical landscape, a secret ceremony for those with open ears.
the opener “sa nah piteva” kicks up the jams with a melody vaguely reminiscent of an ennio morricone score for a chic italian 1970s romantic thriller. as her echo-enriched voice gradually builds to a dynamic, emotional high, previ surrounds herself with a loving assortment of strings and percussion. “gayatri mantra” has a more pronounced indian flavor, with a traditional chant unfurling slowly and regally over an inviting slow-starting train rhythm, punctuated by strikes from a heavy gong. “urvirapo na kakudah” begins on a pillar of wind and synthesizer tones over which previ’s lonesome high crooning soars, like an angel to a dying desert wanderer. not one to shy from the occasional flourish of western melodies, previ lets the instrumentation form into big butterflylike billows of cloud and care.
fans of holistic-minded artists like deva premal and sheila chandra should find this just to their taste, and it should be equally as palatable to fans of world beat divas like natacha atlas: both the spiritual and the secular are well-served. the beat stays rooted to the midtempo “caravan”-style of much middle eastern-accented global fusion, while previ’s vocals vibrate in and out of windy echoes, soaring in evocations of ancient mystical ceremonies, dancing girls, and lavish feasts spread on low tables before sultans. for all that desert-wind mysticism, the music is never far from the basic heart of the mantra - simple, joyous, and moving.