worship in the city

This CD came to me by way of Angela Heirendt who is a woman in our church who just returned from a year or two in Nepal. This band is attempting to compose worship songs in the tradition of the Bhajans (devotional songs) that originated in Hinduism. Instead of trying to explain the history and culture attached to this style, I will simply link to their website.

The sound is a combination of guitar and sitar along with other traditional Indian instruments. The vocals are done in the Indian style that I most closely associate with the couple of Bali-wood movies that I’ve seen. My first reaction after seeing that it was two white guys was cynical, but there is nothing contrived or poseur about this group. The sitar player grew up in India and continues to study with Indian masters.

Maybe I like this stuff so much because I have always had a fascination with Indian culture ever since I first heard “Within You, Without You,” George Harrison’s wanna-be raga featured on Sergeant Pepper. Then in college, I got to hear a full concert of Indian classical music and attended a master class by a tabla player. I also discovered that I love Indian food. I wanted to have India Mahal cater my wedding rehearsal dinner, but then decided against it for the sake of familial diplomacy and to avoid embarrassing pre-wedding indigestion.

Anyway, what I really appreciate about this band is their desire to redeem this wonderfully beautiful devotional music for Christ. They are an amazing example of incarnational cross-cultural ministry in action!

Thanks Angela!

Everybody else, keep passing those CD’s along for me to listen to. I will try to keep an open mind and a humble heart. Besides, somewhere someone (Chris Hatch) is passing my CD on to their music director to listen to.

Go MKs! Wasn't Angela in India?

That is a really cool band! I must say, I didn't get into all the hippy music that was popular at good ol' CCS back in the day. Never liked Phish, or the GDead, and there very few Neil Young songs I like. BUT I do dig a bunch of white boys playing guitars and harmonizing. Especially with a sitar. That's cool. And I cruised through their website and found really cool wedding pictures of a traditional Indian service. He married Miranda Stone, very interesting!

Just when you think you have a handle on what's going on out there...This group calls forth across the ocean with strong ties to London where the Meiners' are. But some of the stuff was recorded in ATL and mixed in Memphis,TN. Ardent Studios is the old DeGarmo and Key studio of CCM fame.
A perfect C-stone band! Where's that chick that does corn rows...
Seriously, it's very listenable, and authentic to the core from the bio stuff.