Soul of the Esraj

Artist: Benjy Wertheimer
Label: Ancient Future
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 825336300026
EAN: 0825336300026
ASIN: B00009Y3VL

Release Date: 2003-10-14

Related Categories:

India

| India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music

General

| International | Styles | Music

General

| New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation

| New Age | Styles | Music

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

Listmania:

Cosmic albums for concentration

Tracks:

Dawning
Zenith
Come the Darkness
Threshold Between Worlds
Meditation of the Night

Similar Items:

Anjali
Voice of the Esraj
Circle of Fire
The Love Window
Call of the Mystic

Customer Reviews:

Unbelievably Soothing.......2007-01-05

Wow! I bought this without ever hearing any of it before, and now it is my fav CD. It is perfect for background music for anything you are doing. Great for reading, artwork, sleeping, housework, etc. So glad I tried it! It isn't too "out there", but just so free-flowing and pleasing to listen to.

Foothills of the Himalaya.......2001-12-09

This is meditative music with the haunting, healing sounds of the esraj, a bowed string instrument from India. I had the CD on as background the first three times I listened to it. Periodically, when I would stop whatever I was doing, I'd realize how deeply contented and mellow I'd become. Five stars for its type. The man's a meditator for sure. Mellow it is, and not bland. The tonal quality of the esraj, and Wertheimer's familiarity with Indian music completely save it from being 'new age'.

Something Special.......2001-11-28

There is indeed some beautiful, and quite unique, music on this cd. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the interface between Hindustani classical and contempory western musics. The entire cd maintains a very slow and mellow tempo, with a haunting and meditative quality. The principal instrument is Wertheimer's esraj - a bowed instrument from northern India. He is backed (usually quite subtly) by acoustic guitar, harp, flute, voice and keyboard. Most of the "fusion" work out there using Indian music tends to come along with electronic instrumentation and eventually uptempo percussion. Two of the nice things for me on this record is how it is mostly acoustic, and it stays with its slow tempo feel. (Though others might find the lack of percussion and change in tempo a bit boring.) The first track ("Dawning") in particular is striking in its transcendent quality. It has become a favorite piece of music for me. I don't think the rest of the cd quite holds this piece's magic, as some of the other tracks get somewhat repetitive, and in places the keyboard and other backup gets a bit too new age-ish for my taste. Still this is very cool music. I reckon that there are heaps of hatha yogis and massage practitioners out there using this cd. Personally I like to listen to it as the night slows down and sleep beckons. . . .

Music CD:

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

15 Exitos ~ Oscar d'Le%C3%B3n

Luz de Luna ~ Javier Solis

Soul of the Esraj ~ Benjy Wertheimer

Dreams of Gaia ~ Various Artists

Everyday I Love You, Pt. 1 ~ Boyzone

Don Covay

Grandes Exitos ~ Luis Felipe Gonzalez

Calido Y Frio ~ Franco De Vita

Martinho Da Vila ~ Martinho Da Vila

Lo Nuestro Y Lo Mejor ~ Various Artists