Recommended CDs for Dennis

[Guest guest]

Hi Dennis,

 

The mirror site has been down, so I haven't

checked here lately. I don't know what kind

of answer you got on your request for CDs

with chants, but I can tell you what I like.

 

I like almost anything by Times Music.

That is because it has authentic artists

(you can't get any better than Pandit Jasraj

who is on all of them), but it also has a

modern slick studio production (crystal

clear sound and ambience etc.) which

I also like. I have little patience for

lackluster second rate studio technology,

which much of Indian music was until

recently. It has to sound great!

 

 

To begin with, two big hits in India:

 

The Gayatri Mantra (very austere and Vedic sounding):

 

http://www.indiaclub.com/shop/SearchResults.asp?ProdStock=2937

 

 

and the equally austere and cosmic sounding

 

Sacred Chants of Shiva (sponsored by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)

 

http://www.sonarupa.co.uk/itm00674.htm

 

Ken said he likes these, so that settles it.

 

 

But there is so much more. Every CD I have bought from

Times Music at Nataraj Books in Virginia has pleased me:

 

Saraswati - sung by an adorable children's choir

 

Shraddha - very soulful Indian flute with sitar, etc. (no chanting)

 

Surya by Ratan Mohan Sharma - some great male chanting -

impeccable Sanskrit diction and a bit rap sounding! exciting!

 

Mahalakshmi - a sweet sounding youth with a beautiful Aarti

from Mahalakshmi Temple, Mumbai

 

and more...

 

All these CDs have commentary with excellent spoken Sanskrit.

I really like to listen to Sanskrit, and I think that the fact that

I don't understand most of it makes the experience even better.

This seems to agree with some of Ken's mantra theory.

 

Benjamin

[Guest guest]

Many thanks for the responses on recommended Indian Music. I have already

begun to follow these up.

 

Incidentally, although some may not thank me for pointing this out, these

CDs can be bought very much more cheaply from India than from the UK or US.

As an example, the 3 CD Mandukya, with 86 page booklet (I think) is only

$13.60 from www.oxfordbookstore.com and postage via seamail, though it may

well take some considerable time, was insignificant. This would have cost me

about £30 to buy in the UK.

 

I still do not know how to categorise this music, though. If you log in to

www.musicindiaonline.com you can search for specific titles. Unfortunately

you have to specify what kind of music you want to search and there are

quite a number of categories to choose from - Carnatic, Hindustani,

Jugalbandhi, Light devotional etc. and a host of regional ones. I don't

suppose there is a site that tells you what all these are with a short

example to illustrate?

 

Best wishes,

 

Dennis