Karnamrita
Artist Bio:
Karnamrita dasi is an immensely talented and moving singer who has delighted audiences around the world. She grew up in Ashram community in the United States, and has sung bhajans and kirtans since childhood. She continued with musical training in Indian classical vocal in Vrindavan, India. Acclaimed as one of the most beautiful voices in the Vaishnava tradition, Karnamrita performs all over the world. In 2004 her album DASI: Prayers by Women was released.
This album is an offering to women everywhere, evoking a peaceful, yet powerful essence of femininity and devotion. Their voices, their wisdom, and poetry are felt in these songs: composed in both dance and meditative styles. Compiled as a dedication to women of spiritual voices, this is a compilation of women's songs from India, sung in Hindi and Sanskrit. The songs reflect the styles of chants, Bhajans and Kirtan. The artist has composed the music and arrangements in dedication to her late mother, Kunti Devi.
"In 1998, as my mother was passing away, she requested me to take my singing seriously and record. Although I had studied Sanskrit and sung bhajans for 28 years, I was apprehensive without proper training. That same year, I took her ashes to India, and searched for a teacher to begin studying the classical Dhrupad style. My two teachers, Pandit Vidur Malik and Tarun Krsna Das guided me through four years of wondrous meditation and training.
As a child in school, my teacher Kutila taught us to chant the women's prayers from the scriptures. Remembering this, I took the opportunity to search out more women in our Sampradaya ( spiritual lineage) and compose music to their words.
Here then, is my offering to these glorious women. Women who sing, pray and share their life with realizations. For all of us, there is a voice that we can relate to, whether it be Draupadi's song of letting go or simply the Arati celebration to the river Yamuna. Please sing along and let these women touch your heart." .