Heart full of Soul
As the best selling chant artist of all time, Krishna Das has sold more than 300,000 records, and continues to engage enthusiastic audiences around the world. He has been called the “chant master of American Yoga” by The New York Times, and the “Pavarotti of Kirtan” by Yoga Journal. It was Krishna Das’s desire to create a record that would allow people to immerse themselves in a night of kirtan. “Heart Full of Soul” fulfills that vision, transporting audiences into a full live concert experience. The album features the gospel hymn “Jesus on the Main Line,” beloved by audiences and available for the first time on this album. Krishna Das has been recording his popular and much-beloved albums of devotional Indian chants since 1996 as a sharing of his lifetime spiritual journey. He was first exposed to Indian culture and spirituality in his early 20s and since that time has been especially drawn to the practices of Bhakti Yoga—the yoga of devotion—and to kirtan—call-and-response chanting of the divine names. Beginning with the early years in India with his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, Krishna Das has made numerous pilgrimages throughout the sub-continent. He has had many unique opportunities to absorb the ancient truths that have been held by the Indian culture for thousands of years, meeting teachers and saints of many spiritual traditions on his quest to open and purify his heart. Today, Krishna Das leads kirtan on a regular basis all over the world. While staying true to the path of Bhakti Yoga, his groundbreaking music is energised with modern grooves and harmonies to create a soulful practice that is eminently accessible to modern hearts.
Review on Album Song
I feel touched with one song “Om namah Shivay” . It has Raga flavour added. Since it is kirtan song, It starts slowly with a hime and rhythm. The rhythm makes your body move in a trance. As the song gradually progress the tempo increases and you will be moving your body in a trance. The chanting of shiva cleanse your mind, mind takes over your body which moves the body. So you are not actually dancing you will be moving with the sound waves. Those invisible waves move your body in slow and steady way. The Ragas and Raginis were known for their magical powers. Although modern science has explained these sound waves and frequencies how they really react our mind and chemical structure of the body, I prefer to keep the context in fantasy and magical world. The melody of “Om namah Shivay” and excellent vocal note of Krishna Das has made it magical. Every time I hear it I cleanse my mind. A cold chilling electric flows through my spine, it makes me whole with the nature. I recommend everyone to at least once listen to this song. Enjoy the mind over body magic.
Indian Classical Music
Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as Hindustani and the South Indian expression known as Carnatic. These traditions were not distinct until about the 15th century. During the period of Mughal rule of the Indian subcontinent, the traditions separated and evolved into distinct forms. Hindustani music emphasises improvisation and exploration of all aspects of a raga, while Carnatic performances tend to be short composition-based. However, the two systems continue to have more common features than differences. The roots of the classical music of India are found in the Vedic literature of Hinduism and the ancient Natyashastra, the classic Sanskrit text on performing arts by Bharata Muni. The 13th century Sanskrit text Sangeeta-Ratnakara of Sarangadeva is regarded as the definitive text by both the Hindustani music and the Carnatic music traditions. Indian classical music has two foundational elements, raga and tala. The raga, based on a varied repertoire of swara (notes including microtones), forms the fabric of a deeply intricate melodic structure, while the tala measures the time cycle. The raga gives an artist a palette to build the melody from sounds, while the tala provides them with a creative framework for rhythmic improvisation using time. In Indian classical music the space between the notes is often more important than the notes themselves, and it traditionally eschews Western classical concepts such as harmony, counterpoint, chords, or modulation.
Ragas and Raginis
When we talk about the Indian Classical Music it needs clairvoyance to understand it. It is like a deep ocean, endless journey. It is like what you have achieved is equal to none. Raga is like you have given five colors, now it is up to you how you can use it. Raga is not only about the notes (swaras), tempo, Sadhna, strict pattern(aaroh avroh) but the amalgamation of all these elements into one and only a Guru is the one who makes it possible to know music, a disciple is nothing and also has a lot of traits but can’t dig himself unless the technique is taught! He is the bridge between the imagination and to make it real.
Thousands of Raga, Ragini were sung, played by various artists. Do you know How Ragini is different from Raga? Well the answer to the question is “imagination” what makes an artist different from the other. Every artist has the power of Imagination on the basis of which he nurtures a particular Raga like a flower, similar to a painter who paints his imagination. But there are only a few who touches the soul, the imagination makes all the difference. The qualities which touches the soul are purity, the sadhna, accuracy of swaras, bhava. What is inside reflects outside it can be joy, pain, depth every emotion came out through an artistic work.
Every Raga has its flavor some are serious in nature like Raga Bhairav, Raga Ahir Bairav, Raga Nat Bhairav, Raga Bhairavi ,Raga Todi they mainly include komal swaras that palpate your soul intensively. On other hand, some Raga are lightheaded in nature like Vridawani Sarang, Raga Des, Raga Bageshri. There are only twelve swaras on which music of the entire world depends. How is it possible? The mystery is beyond science, matheamatics. To express the power of these 12 swaras is a Hercules task.
Benefits of Listening Indian Classical Music
We all live in an era where we face a continuous increase in stress day after day. The reasons will be different for everyone, but that is a common trend. Most common relaxation methods are Meditation, deep breathing, being in the present moment and listening to music. Listening to Indian classical music helps in the other three techniques of meditation, deep breathing and being in the present moment The trance which we would feel during these concerts cannot be expressed in words. It has to be felt by oneself. It is important to know that you don’t have to understand the details of Indian Classical music to benefit from it — just listening is good enough.
Reduce Stress, relieve depression
A study was done to examine the effects of music on an elevated state of anxiety as many patients become stressed and anxious during diagnostic procedures. The results indicate that the background of Indian classical music is efficacious in reducing psychological distress.
Various studies show that listening to Indian classical music can reduce stress, relieve depression, and provide creative opportunities for self-expression.
Therapeutic process — healing of disease
It is “particularly powerful in therapeutic processes,” according to a Times of India interview with therapist Nigel Osborne. According to Osborne, the melodic modes and rhythms stimulate higher cognitive areas and the motor cortex, “encompassing the whole human evolution and the whole of our personal development.”
Nigel Osborne, a musician, human rights activist and a therapist from the University of Edinburgh, who has been using music to help heal trauma-afflicted people such as war veterans and children. In an article about how Indian classical music is powerful in therapeutic processes, he mentions, “Indian classical music is particularly powerful in therapeutic processes because, in my opinion, it encompasses the whole human evolution and our whole personal development in it, in the way raga is developed.”
In recent electroencephalography (EEG) study on the impact of Indian classical music, 20 musically untrained subjects showed increased overall positive brain wave frequency power, higher even than that in highly relaxed meditative states.
“Listening to certain ragas (a melodic mode in the Indian Classical music), for example, Desi-Todi, for 30 minutes every day for 20 days, has been shown to produce a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and to enhance feelings of life satisfaction, experience of hope and optimism,” says Dr. Shantala Hegde, assistant professor, neuropsychology unit, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).
Relieve hypertension
Can Indian classical music help in relieving hypertension? Yes, says study. “Listening to anonymous music from a different culture may curtail the emotionally rewarding path than listening to indigenous known music,” says Dr. B Geethanjali, one of the authors of the current study. She is an associate professor at SSN College of Engineering. “Apart from that, listening to classical music augments the intensity of neurotransmitters leading to pleasant feelings,” she adds.
Better quality of sleep
A research article about the Effect of Indian classical music on quality of sleep in depressed patients concludes that music is effective in several psychiatric conditions, including improving the quality of sleep.
A pilot study was carried out to study the effect of Indian classical music on the quality of sleep in individuals with depression. Fifty individuals diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder on DSM-IV were consecutively allocated into two groups. One group received music with selected ragas, while the other group was treated with hypnotic medications for a month.
It concludes that music is comparable to hypnotic medication in improving the quality of sleep in depressed patients and can thus act as a useful adjunct in the management of depression.