Divine Bliss

A relative newcomer to the Indian tradition of the singer saint, Shri Anandi Ma studied under Shri Dhyanyogiji and composed a huge number of spiritual songs while at a rural temple near Bombay. This album has eight of such songs. The sound is at times vaguely similar to qawwal, with accompaniment from harmonium and bells that mimic the handclaps and tamboura. At times, her unaccompanied voice slightly rings out from the depths of the studio. The songs are generally meant to convey a longing for god, with the exception of the last two, which are essentially repetitions of the names of gods, for the purpose of nearing bliss. For someone looking for basic traditional Indian devotional songs, this might not be too bad, though other entries are certainly perhaps more worthwhile. The recordings of various members of the Dagar family are perhaps the best there are for dhrupad examples, though that is a rather more refined style. Subha Gurtu's recordings of various folk and devotional songs are probably some of the most exemplar for the genre.