Shri by Benjy Wertheimer

Śrī (pronounced shree) is the long-awaited follow-up to The Love Window, the immensely popular kirtan CD from Shantala (Benjy and Heather Wertheimer).  Benjy Wertheimer’s exquisite Indian classical music is featured in his vocals, esraj and tabla, and he creates a powerful percussion experience with world-wide influences on djembe, congas, frame drum, and other percussion.  Heather leads sacred chanting on this CD with crystalline vocals from the heart and soul of devotional music.  Guest artists include Krishna Das, Snatam Kaur, Gina Salá, and Joe Jencks on vocals, Steve Gorn and Manose on bamboo flute, Jami Sieber on cello and electric cello, John Friend on kartols, Michael Mandrell on guitar, David Trasoff on sarode, Morgan Doctor on udu and hang, Leraine Horstmanshoff on didgeridoo, and others.

The magical journey of Śrī carries the listener with love and ease into the ancient yoga of sacred chanting, kirtan, inviting the listener to sing along in spiritual practice or to simply resonate in the sacred ambiance created by the CD.  From the ancient language of Sanskrit, the word Śrī is one of the many names of the Goddess and of the divine beauty of the universe. The mantras and chants on the CD Śrī are in Sanskrit, English and Hebrew including Baba Hanuman (composed by Krishna Das), Om Namo Bhagavate/Because the One I Love (English lyrics and melody by Gina Sala), Hineni, Śrī Ram Jaya Ram, and Holy Ma, which is a symphonic musical reflection of the divine feminine.