Ram Dass is accompanied by the skillful tablas of Manish Vyas and the soaring vocals
of Nirinjan Kaur, "The Alchemist's Prayer" is a glorious musical adventure!
Ram Dass' debut album, is an incredible presentation of the sound that has blossomed
from Ram Dass' intense passion for music and the creative spirit. With influences
ranging from The Beatles to Nusrate Fateh Ali Khan, Ram Dass' music has an amazing
range and depth that will pull you in from the first note. He journeys from soulful
to playful, and the musicianship that accompanies each track is stellar.
As a special project, Spirit Voyage ran a remix competition for Ram Dass' first
track Namo Namo, and remixers from all over the world participated. The winner,
Glenn Main, is from Norway and did a fantastic job with his remix. All proceeds
from the sale of this track go to Yoga for Youth!!
Credits:
Ram Dass Khalsa: Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Piano, Nylon Guitar, Acoustic Guitar,
Clarinet, Bass, Shaker, Keyboards, Harmonium, Hand Claps, Percussion Programming
Narayan Khalsa: Electric Guitar, Nylon Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Slide Guitar, Bass,
Mandolin, Hand Claps, Outdoor Recording, Percussion Programming
Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa: Vocals
Manish Vyas: Tabla, Vocals
Sahib-Amar Khalsa: Viola, Hand Claps
Amar Khalsa: Alto Flute, Soprano Flute, Piano
Hans Christian: Cello
Check Out this video about the making of this album:
In Ram Dass' words:
"The Alchemist's Prayer is an album about humanity and transformation. I wanted
to communicate very honestly about the many facets of being human— feeling joy,
devotion, and love, as well as facing our fears, sadness, and death.
Alchemy is the word that describes the spiritual process... We combine all of our
experiences on earth and through them we raise our consciousnesses to create something
greater, magnificent, and divine. So the album is a prayer, a hope, a calling out
for guidance for the process of connecting with ourselves as well as the infinite.
Some of the tracks have been traveling with me for a very long time— before I ever
dreamt that I would tour with Snatam or Manish; before I ever had an inkling of
making music my career. I first recorded a version of Namo Namo (Sat Nam) in New
Mexico in 2002 with Nirinjan and two other close friends. It was a fun idea that
sounded pretty good, but was mostly a bunch of high schoolers trying out recording
equipment for the first time. Little did I know that it would come with me so far,
to become the first track on the album, still with Nirinjan's incredible voice,
and having such a profound depth and sense of amazement about it.
It was also a huge blessing to have my dear friend, Manish Vyas, play tabla and
sing on the album. In the track "Monsoon", Manish's tabla feels like the water and
his voice is like the wind. His devotion and virtuosity have a profound effect on
the album, raising the energy, and creating a beautiful flow for the rest of the
instruments and voices to glide on top of.
And the lullaby... It came to me like a dream! I was sitting alone in my studio
with my guitar. I knew that I needed a lullaby on the album, and then there it was.
It really shows a lot of my influences — Bach, Beethoven, the Beach Boys and Beatles,
Singh Kaur... some of the sacred music that my parents raised me on! And I'm truly
grateful for Hans Christian's cello on this piece and the rest of the album. Once
my vocal tracks had been put down, I heard a cello in the silence that remained.
It took very little explaining to let him know what I wanted. I just told him to
play what comes naturally... What a perfect fit.
So, this album is an outpouring from my heart; a prayer for myself, those around
me, and for the whole world..."
