Bringing the Ravi Shankar sound to Christian worship.
Andy Whitman | posted 5/21/2008 08:33AM
Singing Christian worship songs in the Hindi language for an American evangelical audience can't be an easy sell. Not only is there a formidable language barrier, but cultural and theological challenges ...
The new Aradhna album is simply beautiful.You don't have to know the language to understand the worship inside the music.The final song on the CD is very powerful.It gives me chills eveytime I play it.This CD never dissapoints.
Al
Posted: May 30, 2008 4:03 PM
At the birth of the Lord Jesus, the Wise Men brought gifts from the East. Baby Jesus received them with a smile, I suppose. As the movement of His Church and His Gospel travelled to Rome, Corinth, Galatia and Thessalonica and further to Europe and its affiliates, a musical genre flowered forth, with Gregorian Chat to Western Polyphonic. Mozart and Vivaldi became part of God's Holy Temple. Did anyone ever think that Thomas the Apostle, Francis Xavier, Beschi, DeNobili, Ziegenbalg, Schwartz, Neil, Newbigin and others were tirelessly evangelizing a land of rich culture, music, art and langauges" (as comparable to Greek and Latin)!!? Let us welcome the flutes, tamborines, tablas and cymbals in to the worship: all that has breath, may it parise my Lord!
Salami Swami
Posted: May 27, 2008 7:02 PM
how dare they, use the sacred divine ragas and blessed instruments to sing praises of the foreign Western devil Christian god. Lord Krishna will not be pleased, I dare say! these blasphemers will be fortunate if they are reincarnated as dung beetles. divine justice will triumph, as it always has.
Martin Stillion
Posted: May 27, 2008 4:54 PM
Wow. I'm sure few would accuse my own church of being very "multicultural," but we have a fairly strong connection with believers in Kenya, and once in a while we sing a Swahili worship song. It never occurred to me that there might be Christians who wouldn't find this acceptable, but perhaps the capacity for narrowmindedness is one of those things that can't be underestimated. I guess I'd better dive into my record collection and throw out the cantatas, chorales, etc., from Bach, Vivaldi, and Penderecki ... I don't speak German or Latin, so how do I know the lyrics aren't really about the Antichrist?
John McCollum
Posted: May 27, 2008 11:33 AM
Charitas? Ironic screen name, eh?
At first glance I was sure you were joking. I'm still not sure. Anti-Christ? To be sung during the Tribulation? Whose translation do you read?
If you don't think that the lyrics quoted in this article resemble, reflect and reinforce scripture, you haven't read the Psalms or the prophets.
But you were joking, right? Please tell me you were joking...
NGreen
Posted: May 24, 2008 7:09 PM
Thank you for the article that pointed me in the direction of this fabulous music to and about Jesus. It is great to hear beautiful music from a different culture.
Christie
Posted: May 23, 2008 10:22 PM
Dear Gilbert -
I, for one, love to have a variety of musical styles with God-honoring lyrics to listen to and so I was thrilled to learn about this group. The "three chord jingles" mentioned in this review actually refers to most praise music heard in American churches today - not to Aradhna's music. Also, if you take a look at their lyrics - Jesus is specifically named.... (see track 2,4,6,7 and 8 lyrics). It is certainly okay to not care for this style of music - but I don't see a point in such an unfounded attack.
Arni
Posted: May 22, 2008 9:56 PM
Charitas, are you serious?
I bought this album a couple of months ago and I've listened to it a lot. I'm quite bored by conventional Western worship and this stuff is very refreshing. It's beautiful. I love hearing worship expressed in other ways in other languages. It was fascinating to hear "Jesus" and "guru" together.
Santosh
Posted: May 22, 2008 11:28 AM
I was born in India, and raised in Canada. I bought Aradhna's latest album on itunes after reading this article. This group is amazing. It is the best worship album I have ever heard. Thanks for profiling my new favorite band.
Norway
Posted: May 22, 2008 3:18 AM
I can't really see what Charitas means. What is not in accordance with the apostolic teachings about Jesus in these lyrics? To me this seems like an exciting band. The lyrics are awailable on their official site. Read them before you buy, but the music style is no reason to reject these guys!
Kaisen
Posted: May 22, 2008 1:12 AM
Whoa, holy nasal notes Batman! It's human all right, Christian? I can't tell. Reads a lot like some of those emerging lyrics sung to a heavenly boyfriend. Hare Krishna George Harrison gave high regards to Ravi, there's your Hindu and human connection.
Richard Howell, India
Posted: May 22, 2008 12:56 AM
Music, like Christian faith is trans-cultural. However, Christian faith is also cultural, the Word became flesh. The album Amrit Vani is worthy of commendation, the worshippers have undergone rigrously training to learn classical music, and worship the Lord in a music, which for millions is their heart language. God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ.
Ivan
Posted: May 22, 2008 12:01 AM
Back in India (from Canada) as an ambassador for the King of Kings, (yes Yeshua/Yesu/Jesus) I am pleased that CT has even briefly but positively acknowledged the role for "every tongue" to be brought to the worship of Jesus. I have known Chris Hale from seminary days together in India and ministering together in Canada. His love for Jesus is transparent and infectious. It has touched my very multicultural Baptist congregation (>60 nationalities, >100 ethnicities) in the Greater Toronto Area where they still love to sing "Bhajo naam, Yeshu naam" (= Chant the name, the name of Jesus) - transliterated and translated on Powerpoint. We have had hundreds of South Asian new immigrants of Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Christian backgrounds in our church basement listen to Aradhna with rapt attention, many with tears in their eyes. If Hindi is their heart language, Hindi bhajan music touches them at the deepest levels. Aradhna Anti-Chrit? What tosh! This (uninformed) criticism is anti-Christian.
Paul
Posted: May 22, 2008 12:01 AM
Members of Aradhna are deeply devoted disciples of Jesus, and superb communicators of His unique glory to Christians and non-Christians. If some reviewers don't appreciate poetry in song lyrics, then it's a good thing they are not trying to effectively reach the Indian diaspora for Christ like Aradhna does. Go to the band's website and read how well they're received when they lead worship among Christians, and how well they're received when they praise Jesus as the Greatest God in Hindi settings. For reviewers who complain "the name of our Lord" is not mentioned in the song lyrics, do more than read someone else's review: listen to the songs at the website and you'll certainly find the name of Jesus praised. For reviewers who complain about poetic lyrics, I hope you feel better after you rip Psalms out from your Bible. I gnash my teeth when I read comments by people proud in their ignorance, who leave nasty, bitter comments based on another's review without going to the actual music.
Name:
Posted: May 21, 2008 7:36 PM
Dear Gilbert,
You sound like you preach from Christian books written by white, American men in the 40's and 50's who thought Rock music was bad because it contained "African" rhythms that communicated with the devil and brought lust to the listeners. As an Asian man, i shouldn't be listening to European music that don't explicitly mention jesus, because it's part of the Druid tradition, or it honours the Norse gods. If you look at some of hymns in your pew, they are written in the 18th and 19th century, some lyrics are explicitly racist and misogynistic.
Please don't tell me what music I should or shouldn't listen to. Remember, Jesus came to redeem ALL of creation.
sam
Posted: May 21, 2008 5:47 PM
Interestingly enough, "We Exalt Thee" and countless other 3 chord jingles never mention the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and yet are readily sung in worship of Jesus...I would bet even Gilbert has sung a few in his lifetime. It is time we, as the body of Christ, recognize that Heaven will be filled with instruments and voices from all around the world...at least, I know that if guitars make it, sitars will have a place too and if I recall correctly, every tribe and nation is invited....even those from a "poly god" culture. I am saddened that such vehement slander can come from Christ followers who have obviously not gone to the website to investigate before calling it "Anti-Christ" or saying the artists are not true followers of Jesus Christ. We should stop pretending to know every detail of what pleases the ear of our Father. He is for all nations and people, and I dare say, he accepts the cries from their hearts...whatever the form.
Steven
Posted: May 21, 2008 4:17 PM
We had the privilege of hosting these two men for a missions conference a few years ago and not only was their music of high quality, their hearts for the Lord Jesus and the clear message of salvation through faith in Christ alone was undeniable, both in their music and their personal testimonies.
Ed
Posted: May 21, 2008 2:15 PM
What? How do those lyrics imply antichrist in any way? Every word of it could come directly from the gospels. And my heart goes out to those who cannot see Christ in anything that does not specifically mention His name. Christ rules my life, but I do occasionally utter sentences that do not include His name.
Gilbert
Posted: May 21, 2008 1:58 PM
NO true Christian will accept the new age 'meditative, contemplative' music/noise
of a poly-god culture/religion. They don't even mention the name of our LORD
JESUS CHRIST in thier '3 chord jingles'. ( 0 star rating, actually, I have much better articles
for these 'spaces'.
Charitas
Posted: May 21, 2008 1:44 PM
Christian?
Re. "You, who have offered yourself up, suffering agony, humiliation, and disgrace / The sacrifice of your life, destroying the poison within me / And you, who are the Desired One, my Beloved / The delight of my heart, you soothe my vision / And you, Victorious Crusher of cruel death."
This song qualifies (without changing a single word) for the hymnal of First Church of The Antichrist; to be sung with feeling during the tribulation.
The wordless cry may not be good practice for the time of wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Human maybe, but a far 'cry' from 'conveying deep Christian truths'.
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