presents

A New Day 2023

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This album is our first under the new iteration of our world fusion ensemble: It features several Odes to the Spirit of Life, in many tones, painting a perspective we cherish and release into the world. The songs are inspired by the Summer of Love, Indian Classical music, and more, bridging together Rock, Jazz, Indian, Choral and New Age medicine music, with captivating and unique lyrics in English. Soundscape An atmosphere of chords on keyboard fill the space and groovy jazz bass lines, riveting drums and tabla bring spirit to form. Newly written Poetry of Truth is performed in flowing and unique vocal melodic lines. All is illuminated by glimmering and masterful instrumental solos.

We hope you enjoy our new creation in service to the life energy that is in Us All! Thank you to our band and special guest musicians for making magic of our compositions! You have made our dream a reality! Here are the featured musicians and where they were recorded: Mukesh Sharma (sarod) - New Delhi (India) Zoltan Lantos (violin) - Budapest (Hungary) Robert Szydło (bass) - Wrocław (Poland) Jim Dooley (drums) - New York (USA) Chhote Rahimat Khan (sitar) - Panjim, Goa (India) Gari Hegedus (mandocello, oud) - Berkeley, CA (USA) Steve Robertson (drums) - Santa Cruz, CA (USA) Mayank Bedekar (tabla) - Siolim, Goa (India) All our parts (vocals, keyboard, tabla, dumbak, nylon string guitar) were recorded in Goa (India). The album was mixed and mastered in Goa (India). Mahalakshmi & Emam

Click one the song names to listen.

1) A New Day (Emam/Mahalakshmi) Click here for Lyrics It's A New Day! With this song, we share our vision of animals, people, and children celebrating life together! Mahalakshmi vocals, keyboard Mukesh Sharma sarod Gari Hegedus oud, mandocello Robert Szydło bass Mayank Bedekar tabla Steve Robertson drums Jim Dooley drums Emam tabla, dumbak

2) Song for Mahalakshmi (Emam/Mahalakshmi) Click here for Lyrics Emam wrote this melody for me, Mahalakshmi (the singer). Since it was aptly titled "Song for Mahalakshmi", I chose to write the lyrics to the great goddess Mahalakshmi based on sacred text and my own experience with this divine force at the center of life. Goddess Mahalakshmi's mystery is unfathomable; She creates all life from the void, as It Is. She is the combination of Kali, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. She is also depicted as a goddess like Durga, with 18 arms, fierce to the causes of our suffering and full of love. If you ask who She is, people will tell you many different things! However, mostly, people will reference money, as "Lakshmi" is the goddess of wealth. "Maha" means great, and the greatest wealth we can truly receive in this life is to find Her presence in everything. This song serves as a window into Her mystery and a call to Her for guidance and protection. Mahalakshmi vocals, keyboard Mukesh Sharma sarod Zoltán Lantos violin Robert Szydło bass Jim Dooley drums Emam tabla, percussion, guitar "Touches the soul, very peaceful." José Hernández - EthnoCloud - Feb 22, 2024 "Deeply moving piece." Andreas Pettersen - EthnoCloud - Feb 11, 2024 "Mesmerizing fusion, feels like a spiritual journey." Verónica Sánchez - EthnoCloud - Jan 8, 2024

3) Our Love is Sublime (Emam) Click here for Lyrics A deeply felt love song to the eternal beloved who is present in all things, in whose love and care we are, always. This is a rock ballad with masterful classical sarod and violin solos, in praise of the Love that is the source of healing. Mahalakshmi vocals, keyboard Mukesh Sharma sarod Zoltán Lantos violin Robert Szydło bass Jim Dooley drums Emam tabla, guitar "Just spun this track and wow, those classical solos are something else! It's like a warm embrace for the soul. #WorldFusionFeels" Sofia Larsson - EthnoCloud - Jan 9, 2024

4) Inchworm's Triumph (Mahalakshmi) Click here for Lyrics I once met an inchworm. He wonderfully contorted his body inch-by-inch across the redwood forest floor of the Santa Cruz mountains in California. I felt in that moment, I was the inchworm, walking only an inch at a time. I was, somehow, impatient to get to where I was going, and this patient slow creature taught me about my path ahead. He seemed delighted at each step and was headed in some direction, toward what, only he knew. Reflecting on all this, the song was born spontaneously. Mahalakshmi vocals, keyboard Chhote Rahimat Khan sitar Robert Szydło bass Jim Dooley drums Emam tabla, dumbak

5) I Will Come Back Again (Mahalakshmi/Oliver) Click here for Lyrics Living in the woods of the Puget Sound, I met a young family missing their mother. This song is for her, for them, for all I've known and haven't known who have chosen to leave us. The truth is that "death" is only a changing of clothes; life comes to life again. Mahalakshmi vocals, keyboard Mukesh Sharma sarod Robert Szydło bass Jim Dooley drums Emam tabla

6) Great Spirit (Mahalakshmi) Click here for Lyrics The original title of this piece was "Birds of the Storm and Sun find Home in their own Song." The music in which I discovered my Self and my place of belonging eventually led to the discovery and re-discovery, many times over, of my Self in everything. This Great Spirit in me and in all continually reveals itself through music, as sound. Our incredible band members illuminate this point through their musical artistry. Mahalakshmi vocals, keyboard Mukesh Sharma sarod Zoltán Lantos violin Robert Szydło bass Jim Dooley drums Emam tabla, dumbak

7) Hanged Man (Mahalakshmi) Click here for Lyrics This song is about the Tarot card number 12, the Hanged Man. It is an amalgamation of my own words inspired by the principles portrayed in the card along with the wise words of Ann Davies. Mahalakshmi vocals, keyboard Mukesh Sharma sarod Robert Szydło bass Jim Dooley drums Emam dumbak

8) A Page from Your Notebook (Emam/Mahalakshmi) Click here for Lyrics As the name suggests, Emam wrote this melody on a page from my notebook. The lyrics came to me as I pondered the ups and downs of life, within which there is "the witness" – the very neutral part of our observatory sense that helps us make the correct choices. Mahalakshmi vocals, keyboard Mukesh Sharma sarod Robert Szydło bass Gari Hegedus mandocello Steve Robertson drums, percussion Jim Dooley drums Emam tabla, dumbak

9) 11th Hour (Mahalakshmi) Click here for Lyrics At this time in history, it is the 11th hour. First to come is the Tower card, and then eventually the Sun (as shown above)! In other words, this is an 11 beat piece about how we choose to direct our energy during this time when much of the world is becoming more and more unstable and out of control. Toward a brighter present/future, we go in our play (and make you new music)! Mahalakshmi vocals, keyboard Zoltán Lantos violin Chhote Rahimat Khan sitar Emam tabla, guitar Robert Szydło bass "Nice mix of styles, it's got a fresh sound." Ole Olsen - EthnoCloud - Feb 27, 2024 "Captivating blend." José Hernández - EthnoCloud - Feb 20, 2024 "Appreciate the nuanced take on the world's pulse with your track. The blend of sounds is smooth and thought-provoking. Keep it up, looking forward to more." Paulo Oliveira - EthnoCloud - Feb 19, 2024 "Timely piece, really reflects our current global atmosphere." Mateo Gómez - EthnoCloud - Feb 17, 2024 "Cool fusion of sounds, nicely done." Tomas Petrauskaitå - EthnoCloud - Feb 17, 2024 "The song feels timely and poignant, reflecting the current state of the world with a sense of hope. Great to hear such a unique sound." Louis Dupont - EthnoCloud - Feb 14, 2024 "Resonates with the times, beautifully crafted." Hugo Marechal - EthnoCloud - Feb 5, 2024 "Uplifting, captures current essence" Felix Gassner - EthnoCloud - Feb 1, 2024 "The track really captures the essence of a world in flux and seems to channel a sense of urgency. It's quite an immersive listening experience." Robert Davis - EthnoCloud - Feb 1, 2024 "fresh rhythms, feels like a journey, nice work" Ana López - EthnoCloud - Jan 12, 2024

10) Dawn (Emam) This piece was originally created as an alap (non-rhythmic piece) to go with our song on our instrumental album called "Late Night Chill Out." We decided to add it instead to the end of this album. As Emam and I are often working on music late at night, many times until dawn glows in the sky, we saw it quite fitting to put "Dawn" at the very end of our album, as it is so often in our nightly schedule! Chhote Rahimat Khan sitar Mahalakshmi vocals, keyboard Emam guitar

Mukesh's tracks recorded by Emam - New Delhi, India. Robert's tracks recorded by Robert Szydło - Wrocław, Poland. Zoltan's tracks recorded by Roland Heidrich - Budapest (Hungary). Jim's tracks recorded by Jim Dooley - New York (USA). Gari's tracks recorded by Emam - Berkeley (USA). Steve's tracks recorded by Emam - Santa Cruz, CA (USA). All other tracks recorded by Mahalakshmi and Emam - Goa, India.

Arranged, mixed, edited and mastered by Mahalakshmi and Emam. Produced by Mahalakshmi and Emam for Eternal Music. #1, 2, 3, 8 & 10 Published by Emam & Friends - (BMI) # 4, 5, 6, 7 & 9 Published by Mahalakshmi Publishing - (BMI). Song descriptions by Mahalakshmi Cover photo by Freepik