Sacred Chants of Shiva

CD Details

‘Sacred Chants of Shiva’ was the first in a series of now globally known CDs, created by composer/musician Craig Pruess, as a direct result of the deep silence, joy and upliftment he felt from his experiences on courses offered by the International Art of Living Foundation, and also by his direct guidance and profound inspiration from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the Art of Living, and one of the greatest and most illuminated spiritual masters of our present time. During 1990’s, Craig felt that there were few CDs in the market that genuinely induced a deep meditation state in the listener. As a serious student of Indian classical music, and practicing yogi himself, he naturally turned to the ancient Vedic tradition of India, the fountainhead of deep spiritual knowledge and awakening. Many of the ancient chants contained in this CD originated many thousands of years ago, when the sages of old understood the subtle workings of the mind and the innate power of sound and vibration. Background to this CDs creator: Craig Pruess. Craig is one of the few session musicians, conductors and composers active in the UK music scene who has mastered and synthesized three great musical traditions of the world: Western classical and contemporary, Indian classical, and African music. His credits are extensive and impressive: two UK number one film scores for “Bend It Like Beckham” and “Bride & Prejudice”, plus art films, “The Mistress of Spices”, “What’s Cooking?” and “Bhaji on the Beach”. He has scored some of the most successful independent TV drama series in UK history (“Peak Practice” for ITV), and arranged and conducted orchestras for Massive Attack, Def Leppard, Bond and Sir Cliff Richard, including composing the number one UK chart hit single at the Millennium, “Two Worlds” (the double A side to Sir Cliff’s “The “Millennium Prayer” – a million seller in the UK). As a session musician and Indian music consultant, Craig has played sitar on the Manic Street Preacher’s number one UK album “This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours” (on the track “Tsunami”). Craig has created the Indian music colors (playing sitar, tambura, swaramandala – zither) for the Johnny Depp, Tim Burton film “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, the Harry Potter film “The Goblet of Fire”, the Madonna film “The Next Best Thing”, the Heather Graham film “The Guru”, and most recently “Shoot on Sight” with Greta Scacchi. Other keyboard and sitar session work has included Elton John, Mike Oldfield, Katie Melua, Gareth Gates, Selena Jones, Joe Cocker and Japan. Craig is an accredited yoga/meditation teacher for the international Art of Living Foundation, and regularly stages music/meditation concerts/experiences internationally. He has performed for the Dalai Lama, at the WOMAD Festival in the UK, Glastonbury Festival, and also for Prince Charles (an exclusive and private concert at the Prince’s home in 2004). His original ground-breaking albums “Sacred Chants of Shiva”, “Sacred Chants of Buddha” and “The 108 Sacred Names of Mother Divine” are sold in over 100 countries around the globe, with “Sacred Chants of Shiva”, especially, selling many millions in the Indian subcontinent. Born and raised in Westchester County, New York, and playing music from a young age, he attended MIT studying physics and philosophy, and later traveled and became a full time member of the teaching staff at the East African Conservatoire of Music in Nairobi, Kenya (1971-1973), before coming and settling in England in March 1973. For his full professional biography and early background, see his Heaven on Earth Music website. Besides being a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, record producer and seasoned arranger, Craig is also a sound designer and sound engineer with a great wealth of experience and technical expertise, which shows in all his unique and crystal clear recordings. Indian music is a very old and powerful tradition, with intricate knowledge of the connection between sound/vibration and the human body and emotions. Craig has also studied Ayur-Veda (the science of perfect health), and his approach to music and recording is a totally life integrating and life affirming undertaking. ‘The Sacred Chants of Shiva’ has come to be considered a truly original and landmark recording. Originally released in 1999 throughout India, it has since expanded to over 100 countries and sold millions and millions. These deep and spacious Sanskrit chants create a settled, warm, cosmic expansive mood — perfect for yoga, meditation, body work, message, Reiki and/or profound healing. The sound landscape to compliment the voices is well crafted, but highly unusual in it’s combination of subtle, moving sounds. There is the resonant drone instrument, the ‘tanpura’, and the beautiful, glistening Indian zither, the ‘swaramandala’, along with beautifully played bamboo flute, the ‘bansuri’. It is definitely ‘eyes closed’ music – not recommended for playing while driving! (sounds like a governme