Inspired by the Bhakti movement, a reform tradition within Hinduism, LA-based musician Dave Stringer and Brisbane trio Spirit of Bhakti are pioneering new kinds of mantra-based devotional music.
On the eve of his Australian tour, LA-based musician and philosopher Dave Stringerexplains why he wants to take mantra-based devotional music out of its traditional Indian and Hindu settings and let it loose, something he’s achieved with the album Elixir: Songs of The Radiance Sutras.
The Radiance Sutras is an English-language version by Lorin Roche of a classic Indian tantric text, the Vijñana Bhairava Tantra, a conversation between the divine Shiva and his consort Shakti with 112 verses or sutras embodying meditation methods.
Profiled by Time magazine as one of the world’s leading yoga musicians, Dave Stringer has his name on two new albums which we’ll dip into today, his solo album The Satellite Skyand Elixir: Songs of the Radiance Sutras, with ecstatic chant singer Donna De Lory and songwriter Joni Allen.
We’ll also hear a homegrown trio, Spirit of Bhakti, whose debut album Open Door fuses Western folk and Indian rhythms, bhajan, kirtan and mantra.
Based in Brisbane, Spirit of Bhakti are singer and songwriter Rebecca Bornstein, tabla player Shen Flindell who has been initiated into the Benares Gharana of tabla, and vocalist Menaka Visvanathan-Thomas who trained in the South Indian Classical music tradition.
Their unique music blends Sanskrit mantra with the words of mystics like Lord Krishna and Rumi.
Taking inspiration from the Bhakti movement, a reform movement within Hinduism, Dave Stringer and Spirit of Bhakti, are just some of many world sacred musicians using popular music and chant in ecstatic devotion to the Divine.
Supporting Information
Track Title: Flooded With Joy
Artist: Dave Stringer, Donna De Lory, Joni Allen
Composer: Lyrics: L. Roche, C. Maurine, D. Kaufman Music: D. Stringer, D. De Lory
Album Title: Elixir: Songs of The Radiance Sutras
Duration: 6.17
Record Co/ Number: Sounds True
Homepage: http://davestringer.com/
Track Title: Roar
Artist: Dave Stringer, Donna De Lory, Joni Allen
Composer: Lyrics: L. Roche, C. Maurine, D. Kaufman Music: D. Stringer, J. Allen
Album Title: Elixir: Songs of The Radiance Sutras
Duration: 5.58
Record Co/ Number: Sounds True
Homepage: http://www.lorinroche.com/radiancesutras/foreword.html
Track Title: The Satellite Sky
Artist: Dave Stringer
Composer: D. Stringer
Album Title: The Satellite Sky
Duration: 3.34
Record Co/ Number: Independent release
Homepage: http://davestringer.com/
Track Title: Open Door
Artist: Spirit of Bhakti
Composer: Lyrics: Rumi translated by Coleman Barks. Music: R. Bornstein
Album Title: Open Door
Duration: 7.43
Record Co/ Number: Independent release
Homepage: https://www.facebook.com/bhaktitrio