In an odyssey that has spanned four decades, Sri Chinmoy composed a monumental total of over 20,000 songs in both his native Bengali (13,000) and English (over 7,000) — many hauntingly prayerful, others powerfully dynamic. Both simple and subtle, his compositions invoke an atmosphere of serenity. The essence of ancient Indian ragas is conveyed in a single melody line easily accessible to the modern ear. The lyrical charm and melodic resonance of his music leave a lingering resonance in the listener’s heart long after the music ends.
Radio Sri Chinmoy
During his time in the West, Sri Chinmoy offered 777 Peace Concerts at venues around the world, such as the Royal Albert Hall in London, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan, and the Sydney Opera House. During these concerts of prayerful and meditative music, Sri Chinmoy sought to offer an experience of inner peace to the audience.
Sri Chinmoy saw music as the universal language of the heart, dissolving barriers of race, language and culture. “It is through music,” he said, “that the universal feeling of oneness can be achieved in the twinkling of an eye.” 1
To Sri Chinmoy, soulful music is next to meditation in its capacity to bring our heart to the fore and draw us beyond the limitations of the mind.
Some of the most inspired music I’ve heard from a solo performer—classical, pop or otherwise.
Cue Magazine, N.Y.