Deva Premal & Miten: Songs for the Sangha
OMTIMES You have this brand new song, “Strong My Roots,” that contains parts of the “Ganapati Mantra.” What’s the importance of bringing that mantra into the song?
Deva Premal & Miten: It’s beautiful because the “Ganapati Mantra” celebrates Ganesh. Ganesh is a symbol for the remover of energetic obstacles. Also, the energy of Ganesh is located at the base of our spine, so that’s basically our roots. We are celebrating the roots that then can take wings. The energy can take flight and move up the spine, and then our wings open and we’re off! It’s like this elongated movement between heaven and earth. It’s vital in our human existence to have a connection to both.
We tried to reflect that in the music. The base of the spine has this swampy, funky, reggae-ish kind of vibe to it. If you listen to the snare drum, it’s so thick and so fat, it’s like something from the 1970s. There are no drum machines or stuff like that on the record. Its real drums and real bass guitar and real Hammond B3. So you get this feeling that the music is moving air. It’s not digitalized. It’s not something that you’re making a copy of. It’s the real thing. So you get this swampy, nice, real basic feeling, and then you’ve got Manose [on bansuri], who’s just flying like a bird all over the music. So you’ve got the roots and you’ve got the wings too.
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You can learn more about what is going on with Deva Premal & Miten, as well as buy this incredible New Breaking Ground CD at http://devapremalmiten.com
