Reviews and Quotes from Listeners

Intricate subtlety, gently touching the depths of various ancient traditions. An emotionally intriguing work, Energia is an album which I asked to perform on, and I am delighted for having my wishes come true.

Hossam Ramzy

Sanskrit mantras are swirled in a mystical soundscape of kora, violin, tabla, mandolin and synthesizers at the hands of vocalist Suvarna. Featuring a variety of tracks themed after Sanskrit mantras (like "Om Mani Padme Hum"), these pieces are a must for any listener striving for a spiritual awakening. Each of the pieces on this recording is a mix of contemporary and traditional influences, blending the haunting sounds of Suvarna's voice against downbeat, ecstasy-inducing backdrops.
 

From: Ma's India Spiritual Gift Store (http://store.mas-india.com)

This Dewdrop World, the third album from vocalist Suvarna, is a compelling blend of Eastern raga tradition and Western rhythm and melody. The album, produced by Martyn Phillips, is sure to attract attention. Using specific Indian mantras, Suvarna creates a complex vocal effect, layering it with her own rich harmonies.

“Charaiveti, Charaiveti” is a stand-out track. It starts simply enough with guitar and Suvarna’s voice, then slowly builds, drawing in Eastern instrumentation and the backup vocals of Ravi (Suvarna’s brother) and Phillips. The words, often used by Buddha after his daily sermon, mean, “Go on, go on! Never stop; become an eternal journey.” The eight-minute track surprises listeners and keeps them wanting more. Other great songs include “Passion for the Ultimate”; “Deniz,” which means “the sea” in Turkish; and “Heart of Tara.”

Indian raga music can be compared to American Rhythm & Blues. There is classic R&B, and every imaginable hybrid reinterpreted around the world but you still know it when you hear it. Ragas have long been embraced by peace-niks and counter-culture folks including a jump in popularity from the Beatle’s interactions with sitarist Ravi Shankar. Suvarna’s raga-based vocals sweep and soar organically over a base of instruments including the violin, kora, tabla, keyboards, synthesizer, guitars, mandolin, flute, oud, saz and a variety of percussion instruments. The dramatic ragas are reinterpreted for western ears yet still bless the origins and even add a new dimension with the electronica treatment adding rather than distracting from the full depth of the music. You can feel waves of comfort as a foreign storyboard is presented and lulls you to relaxed compliance. Useful for meditation and chilling on all levels — Suvarna is a chill princess!

My picks include: Heart of Tara, What You Are To Me, The Divine Sound, Passion For The Ultimate & Nanak’s Song.

From: Castro Online ( http://www.castroonline.com/spectrum/radiofreepusspuss.html)

With a voice like dark honey, Suvarna's multi-layered sound is built on a foundation of Indian raga notes, with the addition of electronic percussion, Indian tabla and frame drum. Keyboard parts based on the ragas blend all together in a rich mix that is kind to Western ears. Her third and latest release is This Dewdrop World (White Swan Records), and one of the sweetest tracks is “What You Are to Me.” Her first album, Fire of the Oracle, was nominated for World Album of the Year at the New Age Music Awards, and the opening track of This Dewdrop World, “Heart of Tara,” in included on Gabrielle  Roth's latest compilation, Shakti. This is an excellent disc with luscious harmonies.

From: Aquarius Magazine ( http://www.aquarius-atlanta.com/oct03/music1.shtml)

Drawing from the melodies of the Indian Ragas, Suvarna has created these beautiful compositions using ancient mantras and vocal improvisations. Her powerful soaring voice pierces one’s heart and draws upon a deep sense of spirit. A great blend of ambient keyboards; guitar, flute, violin and other string instruments intertwine in the background with rhythmic electronic beats and world drums. Beautifully produced and expertly orchestrated, this is a great CD to transport yourself to a tranquil realm.
 

From: Yoga Basics Magazine

Suvarna is an English singer and violinist whose third album is a collaboration with multi-instrumentalist and producer Martyn Phillips (known for his previous work with such artists as Was (Not Was), Soul II Soul and Khaled). With help from percussionist and keyboardist Ravi and tabla player Ty Burhoe, Suvarna and Phillips have created a stunningly beautiful album of contemplative devotional pop music, all of it original and using lyrics based on mantras and snippets of commentary from various Buddhist and Hindu texts.

This is the kind of thing that could easily come across as cloying exoticism or mushy New Age sophistry, but Suvarna's voice is so unaffected, the melodies so sweet and the arrangements so nicely balanced between complexity and simplicity that the effect is instead one of perfectly realized East-West fusion; the results are equally well suited to meditation or long car trips. The title track and "What You Are to Me" (on which Suvarna sounds uncannily like the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser) are the most gently powerful songs here; "Deniz" and "Nanak's Song", while also lovely, are maybe just a bit too long to sustain their ideas. Highly recommended overall.

From: www.allmusic.com

Suvarna Freeman, a spectacular vocalist, and Ravi Freeman, a talented multi-instrumentalist, have created the passionate celebration FIRE OF THE ORACLE.  Dance grooves infuse each track with sensuous energy, while Suvarna's voice soars above. The 10 tracks are all based on traditional Indian ragas, but that's about all that is traditional. Turn up the volume of the wild rhythms of FIRE OF THE ORACLE.

From: New Age Retailer

About Fire of the Oracle:

A wonderful journey into transcendental dance with authentic sounds from around the globe. Such a rich fusion of flowing power grooves and chilled out zones. Suvarna entice and then capture you in their dance/trance/east/west fusion whirlwind pop classical explosion. Ecstasy! Universal mantras and chants, funky bass lines, gorgeous vocal talents, if you’ve ever heard anything like this I would be surprised.  Prepare to be surprised”

Blue Water Music, UK

Backroads Music

Dewdrop World was included in the top 40 for Best of 2003, Backroads Music.

FIRE OF THE ORACLE
by SUVARNA
Rating: * * *

This is Suvarna's debut album. She draws inspiration from Osho, and the music is a fusion of smooth, sequenced keyboard sounds, Sanskrit mantras and Indian instruments, such as shanai and tabla. Suvarna's brother Ravi, whose last album we reviewed a year or so back, provides some vocal backing and a lot of the instrumentation, playing keyboards, kora, guitar and adding some vocals. He also did most of the production. Suvarna has a delightful voice which can soar high on some of the ragas. There's a 'mid-level' drive, verging on dance at times, and also a warmth to the album, Eastern scales and mantra providing imagery enhanced by Western harmonies and sensitive production. It's a fine debut, a great fusion of India and mild, melodic techno.

New Insight Magazine, UK

I have been listening to your new CD - it is so beautiful!   I did not know you had such a voice:  It comes directly from your heart and sings
passionately to "God" - it reminds me of the Baal singers. The London fog & buses must have been good to you to allow you to create
such a heart music.

from Rosangela

Hi there! Well, I finally got on line & ordered your new CD - absolutely love it. I was so relieved that the music hasn't changed. It's still the
magical sound, voices & instruments that I have to have in my life. Every nite I go to sleep with your CD - it's nice to have a change of pace to
sleep to, but it's still the same serene, soothing, blend of energy & musicianship that grabs my soul. Just wanted you to know that the CD is
just awesome. Am sending a copy to my best friend in Dubai. He also loves your music. Hope all is well in your world and many, many thanks for the incredible music.
 

from Melody

This Dewdrop World

Reviewed by Héctor Noble Fernández (inannanaked.com)

For the purpose of this review we can divide the eight tracks of this CD in two parts; the first four tracks and the rest. The first ones are probably the best 

lure for the readers of IN, although they can be a little different from what they usually expect from a review in our site. They are not sad 

or melancholic, or dark, they are simply beautiful, frankly beautiful, that kind of relaxing and charming beauty that puts a smile in your face 

and makes you feel good. The music is positive but emotive, having as main protagonist of this effect the great voice of singer/violinist Rachel 

Freeman (Suvarna), that literally carries you away. The musical structure chosen to do this, also present in these first four songs but more 

noticeable in the rest are Indian ragas as base; kora, violin, saz, oud, mandolin, guitars, flute and tabla, mantras and vocal improvisations 

(more in the second part); in some specific moments I can hear slight influences of other oriental music styles. The western music also appears, in 

the form of electronic backgrounds, synthesizers and some other contemporary instruments and arrangements, "This Dewdrop World" results 

relaxing and brings you peace, but it doesn't avoid intense forms and drums, percussion and programming to manage this aim. In fact I like very 

much the way in which the strings arrangements (and occasional orchestrations) give a slight touch of mystery to the music. Anyway, not all is good 

and this time I want to be a little finicky. There is something in the music that doesn't convince me completely, it is not very important but it is there, 

that sensation of subtle commerciality or easiness in the compositions. Sometimes the most easy or typical paths or sounds are chosen to resolve the 

tracks, in others the tracks get lost in its own repetition (but if not this it wouldn't be the music it is...). Though there are tracks which offer more 

experimentation and less "easiness" (for example Nanak's Song). But for all that, there are not many records that make me feel so good. 
  
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