Deva Premal & Miten: Songs for the Sangha
Finding a new approach to life, he discovered within himself, a new kind of music. At Miten’s invitation, Deva joined the ashram music department and the birth of their musical and intimate partnership was born. A few years later after submerging themselves in Osho’s teachings, they left India and began sharing what they had learned from their time in the ashram, offering voice workshops and meditation camps throughout Europe.
Recorded in a rented house in Australia, “Songs for the Sangha” also features Nepalese bansuri (bamboo flute) maestro and vocalist Manose and renowned UK keyboardist Spencer Cozens. It was co-produced by Miten and Canada’s Joby Baker, a Grammy-nominated producer and multi-instrumentalist.
Exclusive Interview with Deva Premal & Miten
OMTIMES: Mantras and Chants have served as a tool of worship and have had a spiritual purpose for centuries. How do they help create a safe and sacred space in one’s life?
Deva Premal & Miten: Mantras are invitations. They respond to energy. If you approach them in order to obtain something; peace, insight, and relief you will miss. One has to approach them in deep reverence and with great humility.
We kneel before them. Offer yourself to them, as you would to a guru. They are alive entities. Ask yourself, how much do I have to give to this entity and once you begin to give, rather than focusing on what the mantra can do for you, then the magic unfolds.
OMTIMES: How does your creative musical process work in bringing into life so many of these ancient chants?
Deva Premal & Miten: When I step outside of my busy mind and open myself to the power of the all-embracing universal spirit, in all its glory … music just comes. Creativity is non-political. It is not about making a wave, a profession, a career. It is a surrender to the Great Spirit. I have found that, miraculously, in this dimension, creativity is a never ending companion.
