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Prasãd
...his blessings
6 tracks, 59 min.
Published by Manish Vyas © and ℗ 2008
Prasād 9'
Sublime Sufi 8'
Ekoham 11'
The Rain, The Peacock and the Heart 10'
Sarve Shām 12'
Shunyā 11'
"I first heard this music in India and enjoyed it so much, I made a note to buy it on my return home. I love its musical blend of classical and modern India. Manish Vyas's voice is rich and clear - hypnotic in the more soothing tracks and lively in the upbeat songs. The bansuri flute is one of my favorites, then add the tabla drums and I feel like I'm right back in India. Some tracks are perfect to play in a slow and mindful yoga flow practice." Amazon review
Through exceptional artistry, Manish Vyas shares the richness of his Indian musical heritage, revealing a classical music for modern India that speaks to eastern as well as western audiences.
Featuring Bikram Singh’s gorgeous bansuri flute and Manish’s expertise on Tabla, Santoor and vocals, these expertly crafted instrumentals and mantras move with focused, steady exhalations and inhalations — a soul-stirring Prasãd (blessing) for every listener.
reviews
I have loved listening to your prasad cd since march when I saw you first in concert with Snatam Kaur… but to hear you live was so blissful…i am still whirling!
-- Tamara, San Diego, USA
We enjoy the Prasad Cd, for that is what it is! My husband was thrilled to hear the live sound of you playing tabla. Thank you so much. Your stories help us so much and freed us in the laughter of being human.
-- Marie Camille Lentsch, Fairfield, Iowa, USA
Thank you for creating Prasad and Sattva. We were traveling in Monterey, California, Ambrosia Indian restaurant and they recommended your CD’s. We have been searching for these songs for decades and finally found it. Your passion shows up in the music and it is very peaceful and soothing to the soul and very alive.
-- Neil Sinha, Chicago, USA
I listen to Sattva and Prasad almost obsessively! Somehow listening to your music touches the depths of my very soul. I feel the Spirit of God flow through all that I AM and i feel humbled and rejoicing.
-- Priya Mathani, UK
editorial reviews
A classical music for modern India — that speaks to Western audiences
Manish Vyas is a veteran of sacred music recordings and his latest album, appropriately titled Prasãd, will immediately “sweeten” any room. the compositions have a remarkably clean production value that makes you feel like the musicians are in the room playing for you. this is a classic bhakti (devotional) album.
With each track, Vyas’ devotion to his gurus (Osho and Gurudev) seems to get deeper and deeper and the shakti (energy) is not the deep -rooted meditative kind, but the festive ecstatic variety that makes you want to leap out of your bones.
The foundation of most of the tracks is based on traditional ragas (melodies) that are not performed to call-and-response verses, but are ecstatic spiritual attunements delivered with lots of energy and skill.
On each piece, Vyas manages to balance the instrumental solos with so much class and beauty that it sometimes feels like the compositions want to be instrumentals.
Out this is not to say that Vyas and the chorus of devotional angels who sing on this album are unnecessary; each and every beat and inflection is delivered with sophistication, a pot full of joy and sufi-anointed devotion.
Bikram Singh’s performance on the bamboo flute is worth noting and beautifully aligned with every detailed accent. vyas is an original who allows his compositions to celebrate and dance, while keeping the symmetry devotional and tasteful. you’ll find a lot of entertaining musical interludes mixed in with the sufi verses and enchanting vocal melodies.
The percussion is led by Vyas’ tablas with assistance from Padmakar Gujar on a variety of percussive instruments, (dholak, dhol, and duf) which are not only perfectly metered, but an absolute honor to listen to.
I highly recommend this album to Bhakti and world music lovers.
- L.A. Yoga Magazine
Shanti Mantras come from the ancient Vedas and Upanishads, always end with Om and three repetitions of the word Shanti, peace. They can calm the mind of the reciter and their surroundings, removing obstacles and smoothing the path.
One of them, Sarveshām Svastir Bhavatu is featured in this album.
A characteristic of Indian music is that it is based in Ragas and it depends upon the creative talent of the musician in improvisation.
Prasad is a gift given graciously to the Divine, it symbolizes receiving and giving between the Divine and humans, illustrating grace, divine love and gratitude to the enlightened beings.
Prasād is an offering to the Divine
The food offered to God is called Naivedya, while the sacred food blessed and returned by God as a blessing is called Prasãd.
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