Prem Joshua Dance Of Shakti CD

When Prem Joshua is at his most mystical, his music sometimes fails to achieve the same transcendence; instead, it will sometimes remain behind, languishing in the realm of smooth jazz obviousness. On Dance of Shakti, though, he has all the elements balanced just right and the result is music that moves the body as surely as it uplifts the spirit. Opening with the brilliant "Bolo Hari," a composition that combines the sampled voice of a street singer with a complex jungle breakbeat, haunting bamboo flute, and jazzy muted trumpet, and ending with the trance-inducing and chant-based "Dance of Kali," Dance of Shakti is a compelling program of dance music that offers a variety of moods and tempos and almost always makes you want to shake your groove thang. Other highlights include the bhangra-influenced "Mangalam" (which features simple but highly effective overdubbed vocal harmonies) and the trancey, subtly dub-inflected "Himalaya Trance." The album's weakest track is the perhaps overly relaxed "Secret Place," which is nonetheless quite enjoyable (if a bit too long). This album would make an excellent starting point in one's exploration of the Prem Joshua catalog. ~ Rick Anderson

The new sitar master of the West, Prem Joshua is a World Music pioneer, creating a musical synthesis beyond borders. Traveling between India and Europe for over twenty years, Prem Joshua has studied with some of India's finest musicians, including sitar maestro Ustad Usman Khan. A versatile musician who also plays Indian flute, soprano sax, Prem Joshua writes all his own compositions and arrangements. Joshua draws deeply from the well of eastern traditions without losing the pulse of contemporary western music. Over the years he has refined his distinctive sound, blending the sensuous instrumentation of ancient India with evocative melodies, modern electronica grooves and danceable ethnic rhythms. His creative musical blend has brought recognition from critics, music lovers and the press throughout the East and West. He has been hailed by THE TIMES OF INDIA as the "new guru of East-West fusion." Accompanied by the versatile tabla and santoor player, Manish Vyas, Prem Joshua has toured around the world, giving highly acclaimed concerts in Malaysia, Japan, Israel, India, Europe and the USA. A native of Germany, he now lives among the beautiful Tuscan hills of Italy. Master musicianship is immediately apparent in this music: in the playing, the composition and the transmission of both deep meditative states and full-throttle blissfull joy. Whether in live performance or on high quality CD, Prem Joshua and his musical companions invoke a memorable and finely woven tapestry of sonic magic.

Audio Mixers: Flemming Bloch; Rishi.

Recording information: "Free Floating Mobile" Sound Studio, Copenhagen, Dennma; "Ishvani Kendra" Sound Studio, Pune, India; Istana Sound Studio, Tuscany, Italy; Quantum Leap Sound Studio, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Unknown Contributor Role: Padmakar Gujar.

Personnel: Prem Joshua (vocals, sitar, bamboo flute); Rieff Jr. (electric guitar); Michael Millfield (trumpet); Maneesh De Moor (keyboards, bass); Dinesh Mattuck (keyboards); Rishi (bass, percussion, samples); Chintan Relenberg (bass); Hans Fagt (drums); Manish Vyas (tabla, manjeera); Pradmakar Gujar (percussion).

Personnel: Prem Joshua (vocals, sitar, tanpura, bamboo flute, keyboards, dilruba); Manish Vyas (vocals, keyboards, tabla); Chintan Relenberg (fretless bass); Rishi (percussion, bells, loops, sampler).

NAPRA Review (01-02/02, p.73) - "...A magical blend of sitar, tabla, flutes, santoor, electronic grooves, and Joshua's Tarana (contemporary Indian style) vocals..."