A Muslim Musician wrote a MANTRAM!
You’ve all probably heard the word M-A-N-T-R-A before right? From tons of social media influencers, self help folks, and other cheesiness across media. Meaning “OMG GIRL totally that’s my Mantra, I repeat it every day that I deserve love, I am great, I am wonderful, bigger is better, health before wealth blah blah”
“A personal mantra is an affirmation to motivate and inspire you to be your best self.” - I’m rolling my eyes…. hahaha…whatever to each their own who am I to judge, I ain’t God! (but I can still roll my eyes, choose not to engage with those kind of folks, block accounts on social media) LOL
The earliest mantras were composed in ancient South Asia. The word Mantra or Mantram is Sanskrit and is a sacred utterance, a sound, a syllable, word, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages rooted in Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain religious traditions which are the great “Dharmic” faiths all which originated in South Asia.
At its simplest, the word ॐ (Aum, Om) serves as a mantra, it is believed to be the first sound which was originated on earth. Aum sound when produced creates a reverberation in the body which helps the body and mind to be calm. In more sophisticated forms, mantras are melodic phrases with spiritual interpretations such as a human longing for truth, reality, light, immortality, peace, love, and knowledge. Some mantras without words are musically uplifting and spiritually meaningful (EXACTLY what Alam has created!)
My friend Alam Khan is a world-famous Sarod player/composer/producer, son of the late great legendary Sarod maestro Ustadh Ali Akbar Khan, and the principal teacher at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California.
Alam and I grew up together in the Bay Area (I’m trained in Indian Classical Music too) and reconnected in our adult years (I moved to NYC as a teen to study at Parsons School of Design and kind of never left though I go back and forth to CA a lot). I designed Alam’s logo in Arabic Calligraphy. Alam’s father also did the groundbreaking ceremony at the Shiva Vishnu Temple in Livermore, CA, the Hindu temple my father helped build.
A Muslim Musician’s name is carved on a giant Hindu Temple’s wall and my Hindu father’s name is on the wall too, though Alam and I were babies when this all happened and don’t remember! In a world full of hate and divisions (I’m talking about the whole Hindu/Muslim animosity, y’all know what I am talking about!) Here stands a Giant Hindu Temple in the USA with a Muslim musician’s name on the wall, let that sink in!
Music has the POWER to UNITE and knows no religion.
Alam was the only person I tied a “Rakhi” on this year though it was virtual, I haven’t physically seen Alam since before the pandemic! A Rakhi is a Hindu symbol (bracelet) of protection, love, and respect given by a sister to her brother.
When Alam told me he was releasing a new album called Mantram, I was delighted and excited to hear his new music and support him, I hardly imagined that this album was going to be life-changing!! It is LITERALLY A MANTRAM!!
The past couple of years have been extremely TOUGH on creatives - musicians, designers, artists, actors, etc. we’ve gone through a whole roller coaster of emotions because of the pandemic, including feelings of despair, hopelessness, sadness, and relief. Not being able to perform or have shows takes its toll out on folks but it also gives one a chance to self-reflect and really get to know oneself (since we haven’t been interacting with others or running around as much!)
During the month of September, I had a chance to experience the Maha Kumbhabishekham (reconsecration ceremony of the Temple that occurs every 12 years) and Ganesha Chathurti (Lord Ganesha’s birthday) at the Flushing Ganesha Temple in Queens New York. It was a month of intense emotions, prayers, love, and witnessing all sorts of amazing and fascinating rituals performed at the Hindu Temple.
When I was listening to Alam’s album it reminded me of all the Hindu rituals I had experienced and seen such as yagnas (fire sacrifices) and homams. The track names on the album (all in Sanskrit) are Akash (Ether), Vayu (Wind), Agni (Fire), Apah (Water), and Prithvi (Earth). I’ve listened to this album from start to finish multiple times and every time I discover/ feel something new and I feel like I am listening to a Mantram. Alam has mixed/composed many genres of music but is still rooted in Hindustani (Indian Classical) Music.
In Hindu worship, all elements of creation are extremely important. We thank the earth or earth Goddess Bhumadevi for allowing us to sit/walk /inhabit her, Akash or Ether is associated with Lord Shiva the primordial one, the wind Vayu is Lord Hanuman’s father, Agni or Fire is what we pour oblations into as he is the messenger to heaven and the ultimate divine, water purifies and the simplest offering (Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavat Gita offer me even one drop of water in full faith I will come to you), etc.
Listening to this album one feels all sorts of emotions, the music has a meditative flow just like a mantram. Though everyone has gone through so much in the past couple of years this album shows what hope and resilience feel like, leading up to a heart EXPLOSION. I’ve seen God, literally seen Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu appear after listening, it’s a beautiful and incredible feeling. Because the divine is HOPE, LOVE, BEAUTY, and COMPASSION. Lord Shiva gives strength and confidence and Lord Vishnu who is supreme consciousness is the embodiment of tenderness.
A mantram can be repetitive (but doesn’t have to be) and is used for meditation, prayer, and maybe even to set your intentions/goals. For me, Alam Khan’s album Mantram is a true spiritual/religious experience. I LOVE every single track and I am in tears by the end of it, but happy tears because I’ve seen my beloved Lord and my heart has exploded. It reminds us that no matter how much crap and emotional turmoil we’ve all gone through in life, HOPE & LOVE is what wins at the end.
God Bless you always and forever my dear brother Alam, may mighty Goddess Saraswati always be with you. This album is A GORGEOUS BREATHTAKING MASTERPIECE.
LINK TO MAKING OF THE ALBUM MANTRAM BY ALAM KHAN
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLblI6kMuvrNFOuQmaZXLaCqbkvel0jwrp
LINK TO MUSIC VIDEO OF “AKASH” FROM THE ALBUM MANTRAM BY ALAM KHAN
https://rollingstoneindia.com/premiere-sarod-artist-producer-alam-khan-avani-rai-akash-music-video/
