Deva Premal and Miten are world-renowned exponents of sacred chants and devotees of the ancient tradition. They share their love of the connection that music can create, as well as a special song recorded with respected Indigenous Australian elder, the late Uncle Bob Randall.
About Our Guests:
Deva Premal and Miten are leaders in bringing chant to the modern world.
They are major contributors to many soundtracks in alternative healing modalities. This includes those used in rehab/detox/stress management clinics, yoga studios, spas and meditation centres, shamanic gatherings, and ceremonies throughout the world.
Their debut album, The Essence, introduced a unique musical genre by merging ancient mantras of India and Tibet with contemporary musical settings. Since its release, Deva and Miten have tapped into an apparently unending stream of uplifting and inspirational music with 21 albums released, and sales of nearly 1.5 million.
Deva and Miten also visit festivals, concert halls, rock venues and cathedrals around the world. Their followers include Cher (who recorded and performed their version of the Gayatri Mantra) and HH Dalai Lama, life coach and motivational guru Tony Robbins, and author Eckhart Tolle.
Uncle Bob was a Tjilpi (special teaching uncle) of the Yankunytjatjara Nation and was the main traditional keeper of Uluru. This inspirational man was an activist throughout his life and worked to bring attention to equal rights, land rights, and responsibility to the environment. He was also a leader in Indigenous cultural awareness and preservation.
He is well known however for his 1970s song, My Brown Skin Baby, which gained worldwide recognition and shed much-needed light on the issues of the Stolen Generation. Along with bringing attention to the government´s policy of stealing Aboriginal children, the song also become an anthem for the Stolen Generation and opened the door for indigenous story songwriters throughout Australia.
The famous song inspired an award-winning documentary, leading to the end of the Australian government’s policy of removing children from their families.
Uncle bob’s lifelong efforts to bring in equal rights for everyone, and to retain Aboriginal culture, were recognised in 1999 when he was named Indigenous Person of the Year. In 2004, he was inducted into the Northern Territory Indigenous Music Hall of Fame, and two years later, Uncle Bob co-produced and narrated the award-winning documentary, Kanyini.
Beautiful. And Deva premal is so right that chanting causes such a warm bonding between people, as it harmonises both hemispheres of the brain and creates the same frequency in everyone. Some of my mantra students have loved coming to togther for the last 25 years and feel very deprived if they have no opportunity to chant as a group. One said “Mantra is like a lifebelt for sanity.”
I wanted to share this Sabda Brahman, Sound Vibration is Divine- e.g. AUM, Nada Brahman- Rhythm prosody is Brahman.
I was surprised and gratified that they started with a great sanskrit invocation Sham No Mitra… I expected this to preceded or followed by another very important Sloka- Om Saha Nau-Avatu | Saha Nau Bhunaktu | Saha Viiryam Karava-Avahai
Tejasvi Nau-Adhii-Tam-Astu Maa Vidviss-Aavahai |
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||
Om, May God Protect us Both (the Teacher and the Student), May God Nourish us Both,
May we Work Together with Energy and Vigor, May our Study be Enlightening, not giving rise to Hostility,
Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.
I would have expected them to Chant the Gayatri Mantra in the very beginning whihc Miten chanted towards the end of this discussion.
I chant at least three times a day in addition to these two slokas in our Hindu Tradition of which these are a part of are always initiated by invoking Lord Ganesha, Mother Saraswati to Divine Gurus. In fact I was pleasantly surprised and delighted that the Sanskrit Sloka in the Picture associated with report on the memory enhancing properties of memorising and chanting is to Mother Saraswati, ” Ya Kundendu Tushar Hara Dvala, Ya shubra vastra Vratta…
I loved the discussion that followed the chanting. I’m grateful. Velandy Manohar, MD