Deva

Deva Premal is a German national who embraced Indian spirituality in 1990 when staying with the controversial guru Osho at his ashram in Pune. Osho's misadventures in the US were the subject of the recent Netflix series, Wild Wild Country but Deva – who remains a disciple – does not concern herself with such things here. Instead, we have an hour of gentle music, tailormade to accompany yoga classes and meditation. Deva and her backing vocalists sing-chant mantras over a backdrop of soft bansuri (flute), percussion, singing bowls and bells. Producer Joby Baker creates ambient soundscapes for all this to float over. The overall effect is of a gentle, Indian-flavoured music that would appear to be aimed at New Age fans who want a meditative soundtrack. Unlike some New Age musicians, Deva and co do at least refrain from over-sweetening things. Anoushka Shankar plays sitar on two tracks; one of which is her late father's composition ‘Prabhujee’.