Namaste Sate | Music | Christianity Today

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Aradhna
Namaste Sate (World)
Released January 2011
Josh Hurst

Comments (7)

Style: Traditional Indian music, with some traces of American folk and classical music

Top tracks: "Holy River," "Chosen," "Mukteshwar"

Aradhna makes Christian worship music and Indian music, all at the same time. It's all droning melodies and circular tabla rhythms and just enough hints of American folk instrumentation to make the uninitiated feel invited. Their songs—they call them Yeshu bhajans, songs of adoration to Jesus—are derived from old Sanskrit prayers and from the New Testament. The lyrics alternate between Hindi and English, and the music is sublimely evocative: "Holy River" begins by calling Jesus a "stream in deserts dry," and even when they change tongues for the crescendo, there's no mistaking it for anything but the sound of praise.

Comments (7)

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[Reader Reviews]

Displaying 1–3 of 7 comments

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Robert W. Blake

February 07, 2011 12:12pm

Wow, did you even listen to the album? Do you even understand the beauty of fusion between Hindi and Western music? This is a masterpiece of music, deeply moving and profound in its worship. This is what we want in Christian music right? Someone doing something original and unique? While some songs are folk based, many are very much modern rock.

Tejas Majumdar

January 28, 2011 9:39pm

My nephew just played for me this compact disc. I love the spirit of the music and it sounds like Zakirbhais fusion tabla playing for sure. I would know his baya playing anywhere!

Matt Murray

January 26, 2011 8:52pm

This is one of the most moving and worshipful recordings I've listened to in a long time. The arrangements and production are fresh and excellent. This recording is a worship experience in the presence of Yeshu, our Lord Jesus. I love the description in the review of the music being "sublimely evocative" because the music connects with the heart in a disarming way. I agree, though, the review is missing the fifth star.

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