The Devotional Heart of Deva Premal

         Deva Premal, a German musician specializing in meditative, spiritual New-Age music, is known around the world for her devotional chanting and inspiring music. She puts ancient Buddhist and Sanskrit mantras, as well as chants in other languages, into atmospheric contemporary settings.

         Mantra chants make up the main vocals in Deva’s songs, and they carry distinct traits of classical Indian music even though she has never specifically studied or deliberately imitated it. She believes that she has a natural and special affinity with this genre of music. Deva Premal began her journey with mantra in her mother’s womb, as her father chanted the Gayatri Mantra, a highly revered mantra, daily to her. It continued to be her bedtime lullaby after she was born.

         Deva regards her music as a unique form of meditation. Her audiences close their eyes and sit in silence, listening to her creations. They are encouraged to withhold applause and naturally take in the expansive silence that fills the room after a mantra has been sung. Simply partaking in this meditative encounter brings her spiritual and serenity-seeking audience into an inner sanctum of calmness, bliss and tranquility.

         The history of incantation can be traced back 5,000 years to a collection of ancient sacred Sanskrit texts called the Vedas. The Rig Veda is the oldest and most important, containing India’s oldest collection of hymns and poetry. These texts were chanted or sung, through the generations. One is usually deeply touched by the power of incantation even though one may not comprehend its truth or essence. Hence, in 2003, UNESCO proclaimed Vedic chanting a “Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

         Deva’s music is often described as sublime, transcendent and otherworldly, as having the effect of cleansing and purifying one’s soul.

         As such, during the final days of renowned psychiatrist and author Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, she requested that Deva Premal and her husband Miten bring their music to accompany her in her final journey.