Search - Jaya Lakshmi :: Ocean of Mercy

A Gem of Kirtan -- "Ocean of Mercy"

Carla | Arcata, CA United States | 05/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kirtan chanting -- or bakhti yoga -- is an exhilarating blend of music, harmony, joyous dancing, group ecstasy, and the unselfconsciousness of singing along with your favorite songs at the top of your voice. The words are unfamiliar and at times you think you'll never quite decide if something is spelled with a "d" or a "t," but pretty soon the light melodies and smiling words begin to gently cycle in your brain and it does something unexpected: it makes you happy.

One of the secrets of this music is that it cannot be explained in its entirety by words; even recordings can't capture the total interaction between the musicians and the audience/participants... but like a reading primer that gives access to the world of literature, the recordings do a credible job of presenting the magical creations. One of the most magical and warm artists of this mystic genre is Jaya Lakshmi. Her clarity, her perfect pitch, her consistency and flow all combine with her elfin personal charm to present a delicate, gossamer ride to realms of higher awareness. It simply feels good. It makes you smile -- for a long time. It gives you leave to express yourself vocally in harmony at full projection and allow your energies to rise upward in joy. It's great for driving in traffic! I had the good fortune to see Jaya Lakshmi and companions in person as my first exposure to her music. If you are not this lucky, the two CDs she has released (a third is due to be released soon) will give you a wonderful sample of her vocal skill and the delicious resonance of her accompanists. My personal favorite is "Ocean of Mercy," but "Jewel of Hari" is a close second. The title song on "Ocean of Mercy" is Jaya's own, and it appeals partly because it expresses in English the idea of what the genre is all about. She says, essentially, that the practice of kirtan has freed her soul, and that is, for this music, the bottom line. Perhaps a consumer must be at a certain point of awareness for the seed of kirtan to take root, but if you are anywhere close, Jaya Lakshmi's appeal may well draw you to a higher and happier place than you ever anticipated.
Namaste :-) -- ChristmasCarla@aol.com
mother, grandmother, artist, entrepreneur, age 60"

Spacy, beautiful, and expansive

happydogpotatohead | New Orleans, LA USA | 06/23/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jaya Lakshmi is pretty devoted to Krishna. I don't have a problem with that, and I don't have a problem with devotional music. However, sad but true, devotional albums tend to be boring and bland.Jaya Lakshmi is neither. "Ocean of Mercy," to me, is nothing less than excellent psychedelic folk music. It's probably the best psychedelic folk album I've heard in a long, long time, although I'm pretty certain Ms. Lakshmi herself might have a problem with my description of it as psychedelic.But psychedelic it is. Layers of beautiful vocals float on waves of 12 string and flamenco-styled guitar, sarod and other Indian instruments, and trippy keyboards, with very careful use of programming in the drum and percussion department. The music is lush but lucid, exotic without being alienating and lovely without any sense of being cloying. Jaya has created a sound here that is quite capable of taking you away into her world. And any music that can take you away into another world is psychedelic in my book. The songs here are versions of Sanskrit chants and songs honoring Krishna. I have heard Krishna chants and songs before, and believe me, in their raw form, they are not half so melodic and gorgeous as Ms. Lakshmi makes them sound. I suspect that she has contributed more than a little in the melody and harmony departments to touch them up along the way, and is probably too humble to admit it. The end result is that not only do they sound fabulous, the songs get stuck in your head. I find myself playing this CD an awful lot, and even more interesting, hearing it in my head a good bit as well even when I'm away from a CD player. I am quite infatuated with this CD. It is lush, sensual-spiritual, and the music is as beautiful and clear as Ms. Lakshmi's green eyes on the cover of the CD. Whether you're into yoga and Krishna or not, it doesn't matter. Jaya Lakshmi's "Ocean of Mercy" is a flat-out gorgeous piece of work. I would imagine that Jaya's goddess namesake is well pleased."

Beautiful, purely beautiful

Lauren Devore | New York, New York | 01/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this album. I take a lot of yoga classes all over the country, and I hear Krishna das' and Jai Uttal's very popular Cd's being played often during classes, and I think that they have just as many "krishna" chants as this Cd. It seems like lots of people have forgotten or have never known about the Hare Krsna's in the airports; their image in this country seems to be changing for the better, obviously, with the rise of the kirtan movement.
I think the mood and the music of this CD is the most important thing. Jaya Lakshmi expresses something in her voice and melodies that so many of us want to express. Her singing comes from a place of great purity and depth that is rare to find in this day and age. And the music is just awesome, Deva Priyo is truly a master on the sarod and guitar. I hope that this Cd and her following Cd's become as popular as they should be in the new age/ yoga market, for this market could be signifigantly enriched with such a strong but pure female singer who is so divinely inspired to share her passionate affair with God with the public."