Queen of Hearts - Jai Uttal
Grammy nominated Jai Uttal (2002 Mondo Rama) is a pioneer in the world of music community with his eclectic east meets west sound. His 2011 album and eleventh studio release, Queen of Hearts, is a unique mixture of reggae, ska, and samba rhythms, used as a backdrop for call and response, dance-oriented Kirtan, and invoking Queen Radha (Radharani), the bestower of devotion. Recorded in California, the eight track album was written and produced by Uttal alongside his longtime collaborator Ben Leinbach.
| 1 | Thief Of Hearts - Govinda Govinda Gopala | 6:39 |
| 2 | Ocean Of Milk - He Natha Narayana | 9:05 |
| 3 | Lanka Burning - Sita Ram | 7:40 |
| 4 | Queen Of Hearts - Radhe Radhe | 6:57 |
| 5 | Hari's Rapture - Radha Ramana Hari Bol | 6:06 |
| 6 | Garota De Braja - Govinda Jaya Jaya | 5:21 |
| 7 | Last Breath - Hare Krishna Maha Mantra | 7:22 |
| 8 | Vishnu's Dream - Om Namo Bhagavate | 5:58 |
Making an album is a journey across mountains and valleys of moods and emotions. Sometimes the sessions are pure flow, joyful, easy and inspired. And, of course, on other days the creative process is like pulling hairs. Agonizing, depressing, and seemingly impossible. I always see my weaknesses as a musician and, on the other side of the coin, how ridiculously self-critical I am. And sometimes I’m amazed and inspired by my own seemingly endless well of inspiration. Where does it come from? Well, I have no question about that. It’s a direct gift from my Guru…. Hopefully, through it all, I can learn and grow as a musician, but more importantly as a human being crawling along the path of spirit and love.
Anyway, just like every album seems to have its own flavor, the process of making the albums is also quite different from one to the other. And the weird part is that the final ‘product’ doesn’t always seem to reflect the moods that went into making it. Some albums that were torturous to create sound sweet and joyful, while some of the ones that were super easy sound kind of tortured. At least to my ‘unbiased’ ears.
Why am I writing this? Well, mainly just as an introduction to the world of Queen Of Hearts. This album was a total breeze to make. The songs had been percolating inside of me for years; the musical ‘style’, mixing reggae, ska, samba and traditional Bengali Kirtan, although quite new, seems like it’s been around for ages. I’ve been listening to and loving reggae since I was a teenager, (you can hear it in some of my ‘Pagan Love Orchestra’ work) but I had put it aside for a while, exploring other worlds. And, of course, the marriage of India and Brazil is sort of my life! So put it all together, and you’ve got Queen Of Hearts!
But that’s not all there is to it. Who is the “Queen”? Well, of course, She is Srimati Radharani, Herself. That very One who is most loved by Sri Krishna and who blesses the three worlds with the treasure of Bhakti, or Divine Love. So when the idea came (from where?) to dedicate an album to the Goddess Radha, I can only guess that She simply made it easy. Sure, it was hard work. But that mysterious element that we call ‘flow’ was always there. The songs kind of wrote themselves. The musical parts were recorded easily. The singing was relatively effortless. We laughed A LOT!
Now, does all that translate to the final CD? The answer to that question has to come from YOU! Is it uplifting and joyful? Or angst-ridden and cathartic? Or all of the above?
Let me know, ok?
And, most of all, may the blessings of the Queen of Hearts rain down upon us all!!!!!
 is a pioneer in the world of music community with his eclectic east meets west sound. His 2011 album and eleventh studio release, Queen of Hearts, is a unique mixture of reggae, ska, and samba rhythms, used as a backdrop for call and response, dance-oriented Kirtan, and invoking Queen Radha (Radharani), the bestower of devotion. Recorded in California, the eight track album was written and produced by Uttal al... "Pin It")
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