Shivoham- The Quest
Soul Chants, 2017
8/10
The Grammy nominated Indian-American artist Chandrika Tandon took on an ambitious project with this 4th album, where 90 minutes of music unfold with five choirs, orchestras, several soloists and a recording process that spanned 9 studios and 4 countries.
The aptly titled “Song Of The Beginnings” starts the listen with a mix of singing and chanting as a soaring, spiritual quality enters the landscape that’s complicated yet still accessible, and “Song Of The Seeker” follows with a dreamy delivery, while “Song Of The Worldly Dance” recruits playful percussion and plenty of cultured rhythm.
Deeper into the listen, “Song Of Destruction” takes a turn into sparse territory, where Tandon’s expressive singing and piano work together amid swift melodies, and “Song Of Surrender” dances around playful keys, emotive singing and frisky percussion with a delicate balance.
Further on, “Song Of Light” channels a religious like energy amid a soothing presence of beauty, and “Songs Of Blessings” exits the listen with string acrobatics, playful vocals and contagious, dynamic songwriting prowess.
An album dedicated ‘seekers of the light everywhere’, Tandon cultivates a rich, meticulous and very unique spin on World Music where New Age ideas are embraced and executed with a tremendous amount of innovation that you’re unlikely to hear anywhere else.
Travels well with: Anoushkar Shankar- Traces Of You; Pandit Jasraj- Anuraag