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manish vyas : Product Reviews
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| Sufi Splendor |
| Hypnotic Musical Prayer |
This hypnotic musical prayer, played on sarod, santur, bamboo flute and frame drum, was recorded live in a monastery in India. Acclaimed percussionist Manish Vyas takes the lead here, a role he usually yields to Prem Joshua.
Subtitled "Music for Whirling Meditation," this is trancey music that works well as accompaniment for Yoga practices, movement, and other of the healing arts.
Vocals by Ma Prem Sarasa give the listener a chance to experience the intoxicating sounds of this devotional practice. Her passion builds as the chants gain momentum, joined by Vyas' percussion, and added djembe and flutes.
-Backroads Music
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| Sattva |
| Sattva: The Space Between Worlds |
This CD provides an enticing balance of chant, world music, and soothing trance sounds. Subtly hypnotic, the flowing rhythms of this music are perfectly placed to draw the listener in further with each ensuing track. Fans of the chant genre will find this CD on the top of their stack of favorites for months, and those who love Deva Premal will surely enjoy this ambitious musical outing.
With years of experience as sideman with Prem Joshua and others, Manish offers Sattva, his first solo venture, yet it is far from a solo outing. He is joined by long-time friends and collaborators Raj Rishi (drums, percussion, keyboards, bass), Prem Joshua (sitar, bamboo flute, dilruba), Tanmayo (vocals, violin) and Shruti (vocals), as well as several others adding flutes, frame drum, bass, strings, etc.
Manish sings and plays santoor, tablas and keyboards. The songs and chants, which blend seamlessly with the evocative instrumental passages, vibrate with silence, prayer and spirit, and come directly from the heart of the musicians to the heart of the audience.
Surprisingly, his soulful voice carries many of the pieces, placed in effortlessly rich compositions based on ancient mantras. Hours of pleasurable listening will be yours with this journey along the path to Sattva -- the state of balance and harmony, the essence of being, the space between worlds. That is where the beautiful treasure of this exquisite music is found, in abundant portions of grace, expressions of love, illumination and purity.
-Lloyd Barde, Backroads Music, USA
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| Sattva |
| Sattva--A Yoga Journal Editor's Choice |
On this debut CD, Indian vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Manish Vyas reveals a mature, fully realized approach to the challenges of sustaining spiritual and musical integrity while fusing traditional and modern sensibilities. Vyas and his many collaborators (including Prem Joshua and producer Raj Rishi) judiciously apply electronica effects and synthesizer atmospherics to sutras, mantras and original chants, yielding gorgeously embellished melodies and gently loping rhythms that soothe frayed nerves and elevate the spirit.
Having studied classical tabla with the late master Ustad Alla Rakha, Vyas moved on to the hundred-string hammered dulcimer-like santoor and, eventually, harmonium, piano and electric keyboard. He brings all those instruments to bear in seven pieces lushly textured with bamboo flute, strings, sitar, bass, drums, percussion, and male and female vocals. The performances range from intricately arranged renditions of sutras and chants to Vyas' breathtakingly simple vocal-and-keyboard improvisation "Karuna." Suitable for accompanying all kinds of contemplative practices, Sattva is pleasure as pure listening.
As more artists begin to create music faithfully based on ancient sacred texts and musical traditions while incorporating contemporary instrumental and technological innovations, a new genre is emerging--call it "devotional pop." And if it endures, we may come to regard Manish Vyas as one of its most convincing avatars.
--Derk Richardson, Yoga Journal, January/February 2004
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| Sattva |
| Sounds From the Ground Up: Sattva |
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After working with the likes of Prem Joshua, Deva Premal, Chinmaya Dunster, and Shastro, Manish Vyas finally is striking out on his own with Sattva: The Essence of Being. Using a variety of musical elements recorded in India, Italy, England, and Denmark, Vyas creates a balance of Eastern and Western sounds on this remarkable album.
Vyas’ trademark tabla and santoor talents are showcased here. The album kicks off with the lively "Ishq," featuring the vocal-percussion ad-lib made famous by Indian vocalists. The tempo slows for the sultry title track, elaborating on the mantra "Omkaraya namo namaha." Vyas fleshes out each of the seven expansive composition with his use of sitar, bamboo flute, dilruba, keyboards, bass, and violin. The melodies will appeal to both Western and Eastern listeners. Sattva is an outstanding selection for instore play.
--Mara Applebaum, New Age Retailer, March/April 2004
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