AMI DANG - Meditations Mixtape, Vol. I - BRAND NEW CASSETTE TAPE

While working on other songs in quarantine, I was inspired to create this album after my aunt and uncle became very ill with coronavirus. My family held a virtual prayer and service to commemorate the Sikh holiday Vaisakhi, and my mother asked me to perform a shabad, or Sikh hymn, for our online gathering. I probably sing hymns at family occasions at least a couple of times a year, but every time, I forget how much the music and my voice move and uplift people.

Prayer (and moments of internal reflection) feel more important during this time--for too many reasons. We’re living in an unprecedented time of change: it’s difficult to plan anything this year, and a dark shadow has fallen over the world. Whether you or a loved one are ill, you’ve lost work, or are feeling general anxiety about the state of the world, these meditations are for you.

“Tension, Tension, Release” is a vocal meditation. Feel free to sing along with my voice and find the moments of tension in the syllables “ni, ni” and allow them to fully release when you sing, “sa.” These syllables are solfege (like do, re, mi) in Hindustani classical music. Fully experience your breath when you fill your diaphragm and lungs with air and then lean into that release when you sing (or...  more