Anubhav

ANUBHAV

TRACKS

Satguru Deva (05:07)
Amma Sita Ram (10:26)
Shiva Maheshwara with MC Yogi (07:07)
Ramaya Sri Ram Vandana (02:51)
Ramaya Hanuman Chalisa (08:09)
Ramaya Sri Ram Jai Ram (05:35)
Tashi Lama Chenno (07:05)
Devi Pranamah with Trevor Hall (05:06)
Jai Ma (04:04)
Govinda Gopala (03:28)
Govinda Jaya Jaya (12:44)

Satguru Deva

Sat Guru Deva Rama hare
Rama Hare Deva Rama hare
Raja Raja Prabhu Rama hare
Suradas ghanashyama hare
Brahma Vishnu Shiva Shakti hare

Amma Sita Ram

Rama Rama Rama Sita Rama Rama Ram

Shiva Maheshwara

Shiva Maheshwara Hare Ram
Shiva Maheshwara Shiva Shankara
Shiva Mahadeva Hare Ram
Kailasavasa Maheshwara
Jagat Ishwara Prabhu Mahadeva
Thribuvanapala bhava Mahadeva

MC YOGI rap interlude:
No longer bound by the weight of gravity
Freed by the grace of your royal majesty
You capture me and you set me free
Sky-clad wrapped in this tapestry of
Stars illuminating the darkest part of
My heart I take refuge inside these arms
Your mountains seen in lake of dreams
Wrapped in this tapestry of stars
You illuminate the air
Your reflection seen in the lake of dreams
Jeweled rays emanating from bars of ribcage
Deep breath
Your reflection seen in the lake of dreams
Deep breath
May this dream draw me back into my Being

Ramaya Sri Ram Vandana

aapadaamapaharttaaram
daataaram sarvasmapadaam
lokaabhiraamam shreeraamam
bhuyo-bhuyo namaamyaham

I bow down again and again to Sri Ram who is the
remover of all calamities, giver of all wealth, and the most
beautiful in the all the worlds.

raamaaya raamabhadraaya
raamachandraaya maanase
raghunaathaaya naathaaya
seetaayaah pataye namah

I mentally bow to Sri Ram, Ramabhadra, Ramachandra, Raghunath, Nath, andhusband of Sita.

neelaambujashyaamalakomalaangam
seetaasamaaropitavaamabhaagam
paanau mahaasaayaka chaaru chaapam
namaami raamam raghuvanshanaatham

I bow with reverence to Ramchandra, the Lord of the Raghu dynasty, whose limbs are soft and dark like the blue cloud, on whose left is Sitaand who holds excellent arrows and a beautiful bow in his hands.

bhavaabdhipotam bharataagrajamtam
bhaktapriyam bhaanukula pradeepam
bhootaaadinaatham bhuvanaadhipatyam
bhajaami raamam bhavaroga vaidyam

I repeat the name of Ram, which is the ship that takes one across the ocean of worldly existence, the elder brother of Bharat, the luminary of the solar dynasty, master of all the animate and the inanimate objects of creation, the ruler of the worlds and the physician of mundane affliction.

lokaabhiramam ranarangadheeram
raajeevanetram raghuvanshanaatham
kaarunyaroopam karunaakaram tam
shri raamachandram sharanam prapadye

I seek the shelter of Ramchandra, the Lord of the Raghus,
lotus-eyed, themost beautiful in all the worlds, firm in
battle, and compassion and mercy personified.

Ramaya Hanuman Chalisa

See complete transliteration here

Ramaya Sri Ram Jai Ram

Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram
Sita Ram

Tashi Lama Chenno

Lama Chenno
Lama Che Chenno

Devi Pranamah (& 9 Jai Ma)

om durgaam sivaam shaanti kareem
brahmaaneem brahmanah priyaam
sarva lokah pranetreencha
pranamaami sadaa sivam

the reliever of difficulties, exposer of goodness, cause of peace, infinite consciousness, beloved by knowers of consciousness; She who motivates and guides the three worlds, always I bow to Her, and I am bowing to goodness herself

mangalam sobhanaam suddhaam
nishkalaam paramaam kalaam
vishveshareem vishva maataam
chandikaam pranamaamyaham

welfare, radiant beauty, completely pure, without limitations, the ultimate limitation, lord of universe, mother of the universe, to you Chandi, the energy which tears apart thought, I bow in submission

sarva deva mayeem deveem
sarva roga bhayaapahaam
brahmesha Vishnu namitaam
pranamaami sadaa sivaam

She is composed of all gods, removes all sickness and fear, Brahma, Maheshvara and Vishnu bow down to Her, and I always bow down to the energy of infinite goodness

vindhyasthaam vindhya nilayaam
divyasthaana nivaasineem
yogineem yoga jananeem
candikaam pranamaamyaham

the dwelling place of knowledge, residing in knowledge, resident in the place of divine illumination, the cause of illumination, the cause of union, the knower of union, the energy which tears apart thought we constantly bow

ishaanamaataram deveem
ishvareem ishvarapriyaam
pranato-smi sadaa durgaam
samsaaraarnava taarineem

the mother of supreme consciousness, the goddess who is supreme consciousness, beloved by the supreme consciousness, we always bow to Durga, the reliever of difficulties, who takes aspirants across the difficult sea of objects and their relationships

Sri Ma Jai Ma Jai Jai Ma
Jaya Jagatambe Ma Durga
Jagat Janani Jagatamba
Mahadevi Lalita
Chamunde Kali Durga
Bhairavi Jagat Tarini Ma
Bhairavi Devi Bhagavati
Mahashakti Ma Bhavani
Tripura Sundari Padma

Jai Ma

Govinda Gopala

Govinda Gopala Prabhu Giridhari
Govinda Gopala hridaya vihari
Nanda kishora navaneeta chora
Vrindavan vihara Giridhar chit chora

Govinda Jaya Jaya

Govinda Gopala Murali Manhora Nandalala
Govinda Gopala Giridhar Shyam Prabhu Gopala
Govinda Jaya Jaya

Liner notes

“Anubhav” immerses the listener and chant practitioner in deep invocational prayers and upbeat kirtan and bhajan from the Indian tradition. Lush instrumentation of strings and drums from the western world meld with Indian instruments - harmonium, veena, bansuri, tabla, dholak, ghatam, kartals - as well as earthy instruments of Africa and Brazil, the kora and berimbau. When Nina calls, the choir responds in support of this ancient spiritual practice. The album (of course) includes a new rendition of the Hanuman Chalisa but also the new addition of a Buddhist chant. As the melodies pull us deep and lift us to the sky of the heart, the voices of guest artists Krishna Das, MC YOGI, Trevor Hall, and her daughter Uma, bridge the old with the new and Present.

musicians

Lead vocals: Nina Rao

Special Guest Vocals: Krishna Das (Tashi Lama Chenno), MC Yogi (Shiva Maheswara), Trevor Hall (Devi Pranamah), Uma Rao-Labrecque (Govinda Gopala & Gopala Jaya Jaya), Devadas Labrecque (Ramaya Sri Ram Jai Ram)

Kirtan Choir: Ambika Elizabeth, Derek Meier, Eric Charles, Janaki Kagel, Keith Villaneuva, Keli Lalita Reddy, Kurt Lindsey, Lily Cushman, Mark Grinnell, Marsha Dietlien Bennett, Nirmala Orvis, Noah Baumwoll, Paulette Ciotti, Sarina Rao, Satya Carlson, Sharada Devi, Shyama Chapin, Uma Rao-Labrecque

Harmonium: Nina Rao
Tabla, Dholak, Djembe, Frame Drum, Tone Drum, Trap Drums, Shakers, Berimbau: Arjun Bruggeman
Bass: Logan Coale, Mark Gorman (Shiva Maheshwara)
Violin: Genevieve Walker
Cello and keyboards: Noah Hoffeld
Electric Guitar: Brad Stoller (Ramaya Trilogy)
Acoustic Guitar: Devadas Labrecque (Amma Sita Ram & Govinda Jaya Jaya)
Pedal Steel Guitar: Thad DeBrock
Veena: Priyanka Chary
Kora: Yacouba Sissoko
Piano: John McDowell
Bansuri Flute: Eric Fraser
Sri Shanka (conch): Kurt Lindsey
Kartals: Nina Rao

album Production

Produced by Devadas Labrecque and Nina Rao
Artwork & design by Shamina Rao-Herel
Production Assistance: Sarina Rao
Front Cover photo of Nina: Uma Rao-Labrecque on Keli’s camera
Front cover Devi painting: Jennifer Mazzucco
Other Photos: Nina Rao

Recorded, Mixed & Produced by Noah Hoffeld
Additional recording by Tom Tedesco & Brecher Hall Hunter College NYC (thanks to Brad)
Mastering: Thomas Durack, Inwood Hill Masters

DeDICATION

Offered at the feet of my guru, Sri Siddhi Ma who showed me how to trust my own inner experience to walk my Path and continues to.
Whether you chant live in groups, along with the CD or just listen, the chants support our practice and lead each of us to ones very own inner spiritual experience … feeling what you know as an immediate and direct connection with the Soul… this experience or knowing that arises from within is Anubhav