Album Notes

The Album was recently featured on The Jazz Network Worldwide, where Reviewer Steve Getz (son of renowned saxophonist Stan Getz)wrote:
“Yogi has assembled a diverse and talented group of multi-cultural musicians, all in one superb recording… This is truly a one of a kind recording!”

In 2006, I traveled to Delhi, India to co-compose and record six tracks with tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar and his brother acclaimed vocalist Ujwal Nagar. We worked tirelessly for weeks fine-tuning the compositions and bringing in some very accomplished Indian musicans to fill out the Indian instruments.Then I returned to the USA and put the western instruments into the songs with the Yoginis USA contingent. We also remastered six songs I had previously recorded in the US, spanning a range of styles such as jazz-samba, bossa nova, and latin jazz.

I wanted to create a rich tapestry of music that took the listener on a journey, transcending separations between cultures and nations. Terra Shivaiya was recorded on two different continents, in four different recording studios, using a total of fifteen musicians from many different ethnicities, nations, and religions. They each brought their unique expertise in their cultural traditions into the music, whether it was Indian classical, Afro-cuban, Brazilian, or American jazz and R&B.

The Indian tracks were chosen to be used in the highly successful indie documentary featuring the Dalai Lama, called "Dalai Lama Renaissance" which played to sold-out houses in film festivals worldwide in 2008, winning many awards.

The song Basant Blue was chosen as a finalist in the 2009 World of Music Awards sponsored by WOMEX/We Are Listening.

And Jazz Network Worldwide Founder Jai Jai Jackson said:
“Yogi, your music is very innovative, it causes one to ‘really listen’ to what’s going on and get a full understanding of how the two cultures fuse together.”

And others have been saying very positive things about our music as well:

Barbie-Danielle DeCarlo, Music Director of KBCS radio:
"Delightful to listen to! Really beautiful!"

"Thank you for a most amazing evening of music! Your gigs are always so full of great music and beautiful friends."
-Jeannie Black - Bossa2Nova, #1 Bossa Nova Internet radio www.live365.com/stations/bossa2nova

"It was an enormous pleasure to hear you and especially to sing with a musician of your level. Thanks Yogi!" - Brazilian Singer Nilza Lessa Seattle

"You are a well traveled and well seasoned musician, glad to have met you" - George Sadak, Egyptian percussionist

"I love what you do. Keep on writing!!!" - Brazilian Singer Anna Estrada, San Francisco