Dada Veda: “Trickle On Down” – spiritually uplifting and socially conscious

Originally from New York, Dada Veda is a meditation and yoga teacher, as well as a singer-songwriter. Although Dada has been playing the guitar and singing for the past 40 years, it was only in the past ten years that he tried his hand at composing his own songs, and completing four albums. Here Dada explains the concept of his fourth album “Trickle On Down” (released in 2016), in the liner notes, “My main job in life is teaching meditation and yoga, but my musical activities are an important extension of this work.” He adds, “In these short songs I have tried to infuse the eternal truths that are at the core of who we are as individuals and as a society.”

There is no question in my mind about the rating of this album if I could go above 5 stars I would. Each track I find takes you someplace you want to go, may have been or really should be in your life. Dada Veda is one of the rare artists that seem to be able to really paint a picture in your mind.

And I mean a clear vivid image. It’s the ultimate chill out album for soul-soothing. The lyrics and the music work together in the way that tells me they came from straight from the writer’s heart, and then from his mind. I guess this is so, because I feel transported when I listen.

You need both the lyrics and the music to be inspired to have a powerful work that can really move, and this album does that for me. And it will for you too. Considering that I’m a progressive rock aficionado, that’s a really tall statement, because Dada Veda uses soft, melodic and organic instruments to forge his spiritually uplifting and socially conscious blend of Reggae, Afro-Pop and Mantra chanting grooves. And it works!

Like Dada Veda’s past offerings, the music is simple, but the lyrics are creative, his voice soothing, and the melodies are on point. His music is intended to soothe and help the listener’s mind explore the themes his lyrical inquisitions impose, and it does just that. And just when he is in the mood, which is from about midway through the album, Dada Veda releases a series of infectious grooves, as he does to great effect on “Shower Of Grace”, “Waiting For That Time” and “Promised Land”.

Even though Dada Veda confesses that he just does music as a hobby, he is very good at it and I would recommend this album to anyone no matter if you have listened to him before or have never heard a single song. In a world of where catchy phrases and lack of musical variety rule the music scene, it’s good to hear something that tells a story and leaves something with the listener.

Dada Veda doesn’t even need to be boxed into any particular genre but great music. I mean why would you want to limit songs like “The Secret Of It All”, “Spiritual Oasis” or “Drift In Bliss” to any one genre. I think world music is fine – meaning music that belongs to the world, obviously!

Listening to Dada Veda I kept getting images in my mind, of a blend of artists his music style reminded me of, and I eventually ended up deciding on Paul Simon, Bob Marley and Youssou N’Dour – a trifecta of intelligence, universal love and social commitment. Music really doesn’t get to mean much more than that!

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