Vandana Vishwas: Meera – The Lover

Meera opens with a flat North American male voice introducing the first song. It’s a trend that continues throughout the release, and the contrast between his flatness and Vandana Vishwas’ agility is so great it is like trying to swim while someone behind you jerks at your foot every five minutes. (Thankfully, there is a version that doesn’t come with the introductions.) Meera Bai, born at the end of the 1400s, was a princess who left her royal life to become a pilgrim, a devotee of Krishna, the author of myriad devotional poems. Meera is a cycle of her lyrics set to music, which flows like a river filled with sitar, tabla, and other Indian instruments, On”Chala Wahi Des”, there’s a repeated whirl, and the song becomes excited, but through most of the album the mood is one of devout serenity and subtle modulation.