Krishna Das's journey into the philosophy of India began in the winter of 1969, when he drove all night through a New England snowstorm to meet the legendary Ram Dass. The meeting turned out to be brief and anticlimactic, but on his drive home the young seeker discovered himself constantly repeating the chant Ram Dass had given him. There was no turning back.
In a sense, BREATH OF THE HEART is like that initial encounter. Unlike Krishna Das's tantalising earlier work PILGRIM HEART, BREATH works slowly on the senses but ultimately helps declare an indigenous, uniquely American form of Hindu worship. Producer Rick Rubin has narrowed Das's palette while bringing forth his well-worn growl amid the chorus of his Kosmic Kirtan Posse. On "Kainchi Hare Krishna" and the doleful "Ma Durga", the nervous energy of the young convert is replaced with a brooding self-assurance, and the comfort of a long-term relationship. After years of searching, Krishna Das sounds at last as if he has nothing to prove.|
Rovi