Dada Nabhaniilananda
The Return of the Magic
© 2002 Dada Nabhaniilananda (676499800621)
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
SPECIAL: 20% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!
Spiritual folk rock
tracks
try this
albums you will love
genres you will love
By Location
Recommended if you like ...
notes
Hi, my name is Dada Nabhaniilananda.
I am a monk, musician, writer and a meditation teacher with the spiritual movement Ananda Marga (which means "The Path of Bliss" in the Sanskrit language). Originally, I'm from New Zealand, where I started playing music at age six, and began composing on the piano when I was eleven. I then branched out into playing other instruments as well, including the cello, clarinet, trumpet and euphonium (a kind of small tuba). After 13 years of piano study, I switched to guitar and vocals. It was really just a practical decision⎯since a piano was a bit awkward to carry around!
In college, I studied English literature, which proved to be an invaluable aid in writing my lyrics. I also became interested in meditation and oriental mysticism, and decided to go to India and Nepal to study yoga. Then, in 1979, I was ordained as a yogic monk…quite a detour from the expected course for a young New Zealand boy.
I continue to write songs, record, and perform. To date, I have produced seven albums. Three contain my own songs, three are composed of spiritual chanting, and one album offers all Indian music. I have also recently published a book on meditation, and am now working on a book about music production and writing a science-fiction comedy.
Many of my songs deal with human rights and ecology issues. I have been fortunate to be invited to perform all over the world. I've performed at numerous international forums and ecology events, including the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where I played to more than 5000 people with a very hot Brazilian back-up band. I also got to play with renowned saxophonist Paul Winter! I use extensive electronic multimedia/art in my performances⎯including spectacular images of nature⎯to help convey a vision of hope and optimism for the future. I always want people to come away from my music feeling uplifted and motivated to do something good for our planet.
Luckily, I've been able to balance my Spiritual life with my musical endeavors. I guess I cut an unusual figure with my orange robes and guitar. And of course, the media does have a bit of fun with it at times. Yes, the headline, "The Singing Monk" has appeared more than a few times, yet, I don't mind at all. It's great publicity, and it's good to be able to laugh at your self sometimes too. Most importantly, I just want to get my message out to people everywhere.
"The Return of the Magic" is my third album. I'm really happy with it, and especially the studio wizardry provided by my good friend and producer, Devashiish. The whole project was quite a saga. I know a lot of musicians, however they're scattered all over the world. I had to travel a lot to get the players I wanted on this album. It was recorded in 4 different countries: Brazil, England, USA, and Norway and finally mixed in Puerto Rico. It has gotten great reviews and I feel it is my best work thus far…also thanks to a lot of help from great friends.
Please check out my websites at www.eternalwave.com and www.myspace.com/dadanabhaniilananda. You can see my music videos there, and get free stuff there, like MP3s, chord charts, lyrics, and some great jokes! You might even get inspired to buy a book or a CD. Feel free to write to me from the website…I hope you like the music.
reviews
Please log in to review this album.
Dada's best album to date: standout production with a jazz/latin flavour
author: Bill WilliamsThis is Dada's best album to date -- superb production that is hard to fault, and the whole work has a nice light latin/jazz flavour. The songs, especially the vocals, are just beautiful. Here we find musical story-telling of the first order. My favourite tracks? Perfect Love, Lake Gardens, Hou Yi Shooting the Suns, and The Return of the Magic. If you like the Decemberists, but you can't always get what Meloy is on about, listen to Dada. The message is as clear as spring water.
This is a unique album
author: Steve GuntherThere is a great deal of music available, but mostly its similiar themes and familiar genres. This music is unique. Its enjoyable to listen to, its good for the mind and soul, and it doesnt fit into any category except 'inspirational'. Try it.
Soothing music!
author: GunatitaIn this time of great political, economical and social problems in the world, this album is soothing music for the soul to keep up the hope that these problems will actually get solved. The music caresses you and gives you warmth at times of despair, and it encourages you to continue or to start doing something for the world.
How refreshing, Precious stuff. Spoil your ear drums!
author: Shriila'Wow, this man is connected and this album gives you that. It's melodious and beautifully written. I think this man is musically gifted but what blows me away are the lyrics. Commercial stuff can be so shallow but this album has depth of such a, how can I say, sweet and inspirational and, yeah, refreshing nature. Highly recommended. Buy it!
Truly a return of magic
author: adaanIn a world so diverse as ours it is a blessing to have music as a common language. And when that language speaks of universal ideas, gives inspiration for one to be and live that universality, then it gets to a place where it's just not art for arts sake, but art for service and blessedness - for the purpose of opening our eyes, our hears and mind. Dada Nabhanilananda's music is such, it's transformative and besotted with the nectar of truth. Similar to Turin Brakes (The Optimist) or Kings of Convenience without the pop, he manages to write and deliver songs greatly inspirational but not imposing, it's like a gentle knock on the door, not a thunderous sledgehammer trying to knock it down. It's soothing, meditative and something very worth checking out.
Didnt believe it until the magic did return!!
author: Gabriel CampuzanoThis CD made me feel that a spiritual wave is in the air. the Return of the Magic is no metaphor for the feelings the music and lyrics can awake. One wonders if this is where Cat Stevens would have ended if he had become a yogi!
Intimately peaceful
author: MalcolmSo then, what an amazing album Dada produced here. To be honest I was sceptical when buying the CD, but it turned out to be the most CD played on my stereo. Starting with the music. Dudee...although it is a CD treating spiritual issues, and such music generally lacks technique, the same cannot be said to this CD. Being a bassist myself, one can listen to extraordinary bass lines, especially in the Chant of the Pemulway. Some very jazzy keyboards/piano and the guitar is fantastic. Well done to Dada who wrote the music. It just makes you dream and be serene even when you're not in such a good mood. Percussions are excellent and what about the vocals?. This really sounds like Nick Drake not being melancholic. The musicians just provide a peaceful environment where listeners can explore the world of their imaginations and their, perhaps still emerging, interest in spirituality. I bet this is where Cat Stevens might have ended up if he'd become a yogi instead of a muslim. Hehe. Anyway, a word about the lyrics. Exploring varied themes-from the environmental issue, the death of the great guru Shri Shri Anandamurti and songs about the serenity and love one can enjoy in life-makes this album a must for every open-minded musician. Way to go to these musicians and I congratulate Dada for his art he's giving the world. May a spark of joy and love shine within each of those you can really appreciate this music.
Tender tows of sentiment
author: PrabhatA seducing fusion of the traditional with a hint of the east this cd does well to evoke its theme of transformation with sporadically feel good, gentle lyrics. It takes a little time to get used to its familiar warmth and depth and the works intermittent mood swings reminds me of a teenagers corny laments of innocent devotion. At times hypnotic with rare choruses of tender tows of sentiment that repeat their call for weeks after first hearing them. The singer is not shy to assert his individual expression and notwithstanding the sporadically jaded call to the soul, the listener is invariably propelled to a space of joyous stillness from which to get up and face the drudgeries of day to day life. His music is not an escape rather a revival to the unceasing call of the heart punctuated with minimalist vacuums that allows the cd’s overall message of change to shine.
dada's songs make me peaceful and hearty.
author: MadhuriiDada's songs are tender, full of spiritual bliss and inspiration, beautiful voice and important texts to give still more drops to one's better spiritual life. In short words: Beautiful CD to help me to be in my heart.
Dada's songs grab your attention like a smile.
author: New Renaissance MagazineTHE RETURN OF THE MAGIC Dada Nabhaniilananda (EternalWave) review by Daniel Haven. It's been many years. At long last, Dada Nabhaniilananda's stubborn refusal to yield to impatience delivered us a meticulously crafted beautiful album. Years in the making, "The Return of the Magic" is a collection of uplifting songs from a singer/songwriter/monk who has toured and performed widely for more than twenty years. The songs were recorded in England, USA, Norway and Brazil and benefits from a superb production job by Devashis who mixed the album in Puerto Rico. From the softly strummed opening chords, the restrained and tasteful instrumentation places the melody, the message and Dada's warm voice at the heart of every track. The songs have an easy and immediate appeal. You may not expect this kind accessibility from a mystical monk, but Dada's songs grab your attention like a smile. I was surprised to discover myself, unconsciously humming the chorus of "Perfect Love' already after the first listen. Dada has steered far from the course that has stranded many "new age" artists on the cliffs of ambition and pretension. We are spared transcendental slush, philosophical mush and gaudy synths. The narratives of the deeply spiritual songs place love and devotion in re-assuring human contexts of friendship and closeness. "I know that you're everywhere, I know that theory. But 'till I feel your hand in my hair, I remain weary" sings Dada on "A dream", one of several standout tracks. Dada lets us into his private universe on "No Distance" and "Lake Gardens". These intimately honest songs ache with the kind of pain that is inseparable from all love, including alas! the love for God: "If I could just recall exactly how you said my name, everything might be the same again, " from "Lake Gardens". Fans of Dada's special knack for epic songwriting, that made "Warriors of the Rainbow" shine with majesty and grandeur, will not be disappointed. On "Hou Yi shot the suns" and "The Chant of Permulwuy", Dada introduces us to mythical heroes from China and pre-colonial Australia, making their ancient struggle relevant to our struggle for justice today. Dada's team on "The Return of the Magic" deserves credit. Giita's backup vocals are excellent throughout, and in a way define the soundscape. It's used to great effect on "Remember me", a sunshiny celebration of a song with a definite commercial potential. Sukhadeva's guitar is understated and professional, never imposing on Dada's voice. With several of his own instrumental albums to his credit, Sukhadeva here concentrates on enhancing Dada's melodies. The whole band deliver a tight performance. As the title track's rousing chorus ends the album on a note of hope, I feel some of "the Magic" Dada sings about linger in the air, and the future, in these days of war and conflict, looks just a bit brighter. Truly uplifting music.