CD Review: “Uplifting Mantras for You” by Sarab Deva.
Written by: Juanita Caprari.
Sarab Deva is the spiritual Sanskrit name of seasoned artist Nicole Sky and means “Universal Divinity.”
Sarab Deva began practising Yoga in her early teens and in adult years trained as a Kundalini teacher. She resonated deeply with the profound sense of peace and meaning of mantras through the years. The experience of the connection of the spirit through word and sound to a Divine consciousness from intention to reality came to light through the CD, “Uplifting Mantras for You.”
I have listened to the album several times and indeed from the very first audio the word that came to mind is “uplifting.” First and foremost, albeit sacred mantras are designed to uplift and enlighten, these sentiments are truthfully expressed thanks to Sarab Deva’s beautiful and crystal clear, sweet voice.
Although the 11 mantras covered vary as spoken Tibetan, Hindi and Gurumukhi Sanskrit and refer to a higher consciousness, the intended message of this album is non-denominational. It is best to listen with an open mind and, most importantly, a compassionate heart with the ultimate understanding that we are all One and therefore connected by the same all loving higher Energy or Prana.
As a teacher I do like to have background music during class but my preferred choice is instrumental song when teaching. This is by all means my personal preference and that said I love to listen to Sarab Deva’s CD when I do my self practice and / or playing in my personal surrounds. There are mantras that will clearly resonate with me more than others such as the Gayatri mantra and “May the long time Sun” to name a couple. I do love the opening mantra to the album, “Rama Jaya” as it does invoke a real sense of joy, positive energy and a feeling of calm. I really appreciate the fact that the artist and fellow yogini has gone to the considerate length of giving a brief explanation of the mantras in the CD insert and what each can be used for according to one’s heartfelt intention. Both the Sanskrit and English translation have been captured too with each mantra description.
The creative process is met with respectful integrity of the mantras as Sarab Deva explains: “Even though this album contains many unusual sounds and effects, all of these were created using real acoustic and electric instruments with analogue equipment. In order to preserve the purity of the mantras’ vibrations no pitch correction was used on my vocals to ensure that the whole mantra can be heard as it would be in an actual kirtan.”
If you have a love for mantras, for kirtan coupled with an appreciation for a voice that exudes artful talent, beauty and sincere love then it would be worth your while to invest in this CD to add to your collection. Be inspired and be uplifted!
Thank you Sarab Deva for sharing your blessed gift with us!
Love and light,
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