Fire Agni an intense element an element of great ritual importance invoked from ancient times as the purifier. So also our relationship and human interaction with fire is very intense. In this album I have chosen to approach the subject form a human point of view as we perceive express, experience fire. The human mind reflects on fire as a phenomenon an extraordinary element unlike other elements we feel its awesome presence with all our senses. Its raw energy was difficult for early man to harness and conquer no wonder then that it appears in so many myths worldwide as a miraculous and divine power which had to be sought out and stolen form the gods. As an energy source fire was tapped very early unlike wind and water. Think of fire as process pure energy hence the concept and manifestation of Tej a combination of heat light and energy emerging like a blazing and enveloping aura. Tej is a part of the seeking to control things in nature of which the most important was fire used for everything from cooking food to transporting people to rockets for outer space.
In may compositions I have used a variety of musical idioms and rhythms to express these ideas ranging form strong percussion as in the opening track Flame where the different tempi are suggestive of a restless flickering which gathers in intensity to illustrative sound as in forest fire Aurora fire in the sky represents the luminosity of northern sound as well as Usha the dawn the lit up sky flushed with red like fire in the sky. It is the end of a period of darkness filled with the expectation of the day that will appear soon. It is based on a sandhi Prakash raga of the time of the joining of light and darkness.
“Fireflies” is based on a personal experience. In a jungle I once saw an unforgettable sight an assembly of fireflies’ almost two stories high sparkling in the dark like illuminations of celebrations. The playfulness of that light ahs been depicted here. In the quest for fire I have used Raga Nat Bhairav with its strong searching quality expressed through the note komal dhaivat I have used the augmented chord to depict a seeking. The sound of the jet in internal combustion takes you further deeper into space. In the last two tracks we go back to the past or do we forward to the future?
The use of the gong like a motiv reflects the mystic concepts of Shunayata (Buddhist) or Fana (sufi) where one’s own self is merged with oblivion melts into nothingness into the purity of fire…
I praise Agni the household priestDivine Minstrant of the sacrificeThe Invoker the greatest bestover of treasures…Agni is worthy to be praisedBy those present as by seers of oldMay he conduct the Gods to us…
Through Agni may we richers gainAnd day by day prosperity…the worship and the sacrificeGuarded by thee on every sideGo straight O Agni to the Gods!
All from the Rig Veda Mandala 1
From unreal, lead me to the realForm Darkness, lend me to light From death lead me to immortality
Enoch daniels – PianoJayantilal – GuitarTaufiq Qureshi – Electronic Percussion and Duff Subhash Parab – Keyboards Pradeep Barot – Sarod Vijay Tambe – FluteLalite Shedni – Duff, Dholak, DholRahul Joshi – Voice
Recording engineered by: Daman Sood and Avinash Oak
Recording mixed by: Daman Sood at studio western Outdoor Bombay
For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist