“You and I are One” is a compilation of sacred songs composed by Shambo over the years, inspired by being in the presence of a great spiritual teacher regarded by many as the Avatar (divine incarnation) of this age. Most of the songs on the album are in a more or less traditional bhajan format like is used in kirtan services all around the globe. Shambo sings the lead and a beautiful choir of female voices repeates the lines. Part of the songs have English lyrics and some are in Dutch language. About the songs: Ganapathi pratana, the opening piece, is a mesmerizing incantation of a Vedic sloka to invoke and praise Lord Ganesha (remover of obstacles), Mother Sarasvati (provider of wisdom) and the Guru (dispeller of darkness) The choir is backed up by heavenly ambient sounds and the mystic timbre of the shenai. You and I are One the title song of the album, sings of the journey of the soul and the final merging with it’s source. My heart is flowing over a wonderful bhajan in rupak-tala (7 beats rhythm) and melody in the raga Jaunpuri. Healing in the sunshine is about the joy and blessings experienced in the nearness of Guruji and the inspiration that flows from that encounter to live a life full of love and devotion. Aarde, water, vuur en lucht , a Dutch bhajan about the wonders of creation. Touch me with your healing hand is a prayer for healing. Aan de oever van de Chitravati a happy tune in Dutch about the avatar who is living at the banks of the Chitravati river. Heer laat mij beseffen is actually a translation in Dutch of the well-known bhajan “Remind me my Lord” Met liefde en vreugde diep in je hart is a translation from the Hindi bhajan “Prema muditha manasa kaho” Rain of love is about the deep extasy of love experienced during (and after) having darshan of the Divine. Ik ben God is a translation from the bhajan “I am God” I see you standing before me sings about the longing to merge with our Beloved. Shambo is a singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist living in the Netherlands. He has been studying Indian music at the Rotterdam conservatory in the nineties and has been involved in the art of sitarplaying for over 20 years. During the eighties he was practicing as a naturopathic healer and did research on the healing properties of singing, music and sound. On “You and I are one” this element of musical healing can be felt mostly coming from a spiritual source.