It takes a special artist to masterfully blend cultures, languages and devotional practices into a seamless musical expression of cultural fusion. Joss Jaffe’s expertly produced work, Dub Mantra Sangha, does just that! Through Jaffe’s infectious dub beats, reggae rhythm, and the exquisite participation of award-winning musicians—Jai Uttal, Wah!, Masood Ali Khan, Sheela Bringi, Donna DeLory, Dave Stringer and more—we harmoniously enter this connected world.
Paired with these exceptional artists, Jaffe groves and pulses us through 11 spiritual melodies, five languages and three continents. Beginning with the first track, “Elohim,” we are rocked by a strong brass intro followed by a sensual regge beat as Jaffe, joined by Mykal Rose & Shimshai, sings in Hebrew. In track two, we feel the joy of “Genesha” with Jaffe’s light reggae feel, sung in Sanskrit by Jai Uttal and Suzanne Sterling.
Due to Jaffe’s innovative arrangements, this is not a typical devotional album. For instance, when listening to “Kalike” and “Durga” (tracks four and five), we hear mariachi trumpets, reggae, dub and calypso beats, all while being serenaded in Sanskrit. This blending of languages, instrumentation, cultures and music is a pleasure ride of sweet togetherness that you can enjoy all the way through. (Tataouine/BMI)
