Dada Veda

Recorded in Tirana, Albania, Brighter than the Sun is a set of 13 acoustic songs that should leave the listener uplifted, refreshed, and hopeful for the future.

All tracks were written, sung and played by Dada Veda, an idealistic troubadour who was born in New York in 1946 and grew up through the formative years of rock-'n'-roll.

He hitchhiked to California during the fluorescent flower-power era of the Sixties, and ended up becoming a dedicated yogic monk in the Ananda Marga Society. Ananda Marga, which means "Path of Bliss," is a fellowship devoted to peace, health, and harmony among humanity.

Currently residing in Albania, Dada Veda helps to manage kindergarten operations for underprivileged children there, and proceeds from his CD will help to support those educational efforts.

Each song on the album has a positive title and theme, including the title cut, which was inspired by meditation, encouraging people to go deep within themselves.

"Common Home" is an ecological song, while "For Everyone" is, just as implied, for all people, everywhere. "Crimson Dawn" and "In the Stillness of the Morning" speak of bright times to come, and "I Don't Eat Meat" addresses the goodness of a vegetarian diet.

The songs are all based on folksy chords played by Dada Veda on the acoustic guitar, accompanied by Redi Dashi on bass and additional guitars, plus drums and percussion by Andi Haxhihyseni, and background vocals by Vasudeva.

Yes, there's sometimes a childlike innocence to Dada Veda's singing, and his pitch may not be always perfect, but -- look at how enduring a singer such as Bob Dylan has proven to be, also without an opera-quality voice, while inspiring a boatload of imitators and tribute-payers along the way!

Like Dylan, Dada Veda gives voice to enduring issues such as social justice, reminding the listener, in "The Wise Ones Say," that one should do good things immediately, but should delay doing anything that is bad.

The world can use more inspiration and direction such as that found on Brighter than the Sun. Info on kindergarten education in Albania is found at www.albaniansunrise.com; more on yoga and meditation is available at www.anandamarga.org; the singer's own site is www.dadaveda.com. - All Access Magazine

reviewed by Daniel Haven

From the opening title track Dada inspires us to look inside ourselves for answers. The simple peace of meditation and closeness to God is the central message. "He's right there inside of us, He's brighter than the sun," sings Dada in his cheery voice, like a favorite uncle.

All the songs are upbeat and happy. They speak of hope, light, unity and better times ahead. Cynicism and phony sophistication dominate our tense and complex times. Dada, through his simplicity and charm, cuts through all that. His songs give us a mental break, and return us to an age of innocence. Perhaps, if we can re-discover some very basic spiritual values, we would not feel so lost right now.

Dada's style is reminiscent of Pete Seeger or even Woody Guthrie. He is backed by acoustic guitars on all songs. On some of the up-tempo songs drum, bass and electric guitar give a folk-rock feel.

The appeal of Dada's songs lie in the familiarity and immediacy of the melodies and the message. Most of the songs are easy to learn. The lyrics and guitar chords are available on Dada's web-site www.dadaveda.com. This CD may very well yield future sing-along favorites, suitable for campfires, front porches and spiritual gatherings in any country were English is spoken and sung. The best tracks include the vegetarian anthem "I don't eat meat", the call for universalism on "Rainbow of Humanity", the good advice of "The Wise One Says", and the call to change the world on "As the world spins around".

If you're a baby boomer, "Brighter than the Sun" will bring back the sixties and the starry eyed idealism that you secretly miss. If you are younger, but tired of all the artifice of modern music, let this CD show you how spirit and pure intentions will always count for much more than expensive equipment and clever posturing.
- New Renaissance Magazine

Unlike Motown, Dada Veda leaves his best song for last. “Forever and Ever” is a song about the most subtle and at the same time supreme of human emotions, what Dada Veda calls ‘devotion’. If called devotion when the relationship is one of disciple to teacher; when the relationship is between good friends, between parents and children, or between romantically involved couples this emotion is simply called ‘love’. Dada Veda ends this song with the Sanskrit words "Baba nam kevalam" which can be loosely translated as "Love is all you need".

Dada Veda is a spiritual folk singer, now living in Tirane, Albania. He was born in NYC, and has lived in many parts of the world as a yoga-meditation teacher and social worker. His music has, as might be expected, a strong spiritual, environmental, and social bent; all of which is welcome in this day of violent rap, and songs about microwave ovens or portable telephones.

He was asked what message he tries to convey in his music: “There are multiple messages in the music. There are social messages centering around the fact that we are one human race and that we should live together on this planet like a joint family. That means that we should respect each other and guarantee the rights of all. This is the social aspect of the music. There is also spiritual content in the music and the central idea here is that inside of each of us there is a spiritual core and that we should try to experience it.” All his songs are good articulators of these themes.

“Forever and Ever” is by far not the only jewel on the album. “Animals are my Friends”, a song also known as “I don’t eat meat” is a vegetarian anthem which was recently featured on Vegcast.com. No wonder, as in concerts this tune elicits foot stomping and hand clapping from the audience.

Another high-point is “In the Stillness of the Morning”, another song of devotion, which describes the longing of the disciple for her / his master; or of one lover for the loved one.

Also worth attention is “As the World Spins Around” which describes the plight of people around the world, who must struggle for their existence, while the people at the top of the pyramid reap fantastic gains. It can be seen as a plea for a more equal distribution of the world’s resources.

I lied earlier when I said the “Forever and Ever” is the best song on the album. The first time I heard “For Everyone” I was just taken aback by the poignancy and beauty of the simplicity and ultimate truthfulness of the opening lines: “Can anyone own the sun? Can anyone claim the moon? I think its plain to see that they shine for you and me, and everyone, for everyone.”

The most profound song is “One Fine Day”, which describes life and the ultimate inevitable death that ensues in an almost Buddhist open and optimist way: “One fine day I’m going to leave with a smile.”

What does Dada Veda want to achieve with his music? “I hope to both entertain and inspire people. Music is certainly for enjoyment and I hope people enjoy the music when they listen to the CD and have fun when they hear it live. I also hope that the lyrics will set people thinking about some deep themes, such as improving society and protecting the environment. And on top of this I hope the music will inspire listeners to go embark on the path of self realization.”

In addition to the many very strong songs on the album, there are some weaker moments. “Common Home”, an ecology song; and “Crimson Dawn”, though pleasant folk songs, with relevant themes, didn’t move me like the others.

All in all however Dada Veda’s Brighter than the Sun gets a full four stars out of four for his debut work. I look forward to hearing his next official release.

reviewed by Gary Levinson
- IndieMusicReview.net

reviewed by By Dan MacIntosh

Dada Veda (aka Acarya Vedaprajinananda Avadhuta) has led an interesting life. Born and raised in New York City, he attended Colgate University, became swept up with the flourishing hippie movement and hitchhiked to California, and is now an orange-robed monk of Ananda Marga. He’s currently based in Albania where he runs a kindergarten. Needless to say, this guy’s seen enough to sing about it.

On Brighter than the Sun, Dada Veda offers a collection of original feel-good folky tunes centered around unity, nature, and vegetarianism. Clearly the hippie era never ended for Dada Veda, which is fortunate for the listener. It’s rare these days to find an album so positive it plants a smile on your face when you hear the genuine, raw emotion in Dada Veda’s voice and accompanying guitar strumming.

“Common Home” is one of the more catchy tunes, preaching respect for the earth (Dada Veda actually suggests playing this song on Earth Day in the liner notes) while “Till I Find You” has an adventurous air about it, where the singer wakes up one morning and heads out “on the open road." Dada Veda’s religious side shines through on “I Can Never Be Apart From You," which he dedicates to the “Supreme One."

You’re the sound of the mighty ocean roar,
you’re the calm in the midst of a war.
I feel your presence through and through,
I can never be apart from you ...

The most touching track is “One Fine Day (I’m Gonna Go with a Smile)," which is based on the work of Indian poet Tulsi Das and captures the emotional sentiment involved in both leaving and watching someone leave this world.

Dada Veda’s positive spirit is refreshing. While his voice may not rival the polished power of many vocalists in today’s music scene, Dada Veda more than makes up for it with his authenticity. This is the work of someone who has taken it upon himself to “be the change” (in the words of Ghandi) he wants to see in the world. On Brighter than the Sun, Dada Veda shines in his ability to convey simple messages of love and acceptance through the power of music. And that’s something quite bright indeed. - Indie-Music.com

One of the Indie Music world’s most anticipated releases, Dada Veda’s Love is the Best is finally here. With his new album, Dada Veda presents us songs in a variety of musical directions: doo-wop, gospel, reggae, blue grass, barber shop, honky tonk, R and B, country, folk, rock….

Was it worth the wait? Let’s look at some of the songs:

We Are Never Alone or Helpless, the opening track is a rocking, southern R and B flavored song, reminiscent of some of Leon Russell’s work. It has a catchy Nashville sound, and it encapsulates the basis of yoga philosophy: “You are never alone or helpless. The force that guides the stars guides you too.”

From Zero to Hero is one of my favorites. The honky-tonk riffs, and the slightly unpolished backing vocals support the song’s message: We all have the capacity to turn the zero into hero.

Liberate Your Mind is about breaking free from worry, and as such is also about basic yoga philosophy. The barber-shop style singing on the background vocals, makes it clear to all that even a group a 40-something men can be interested in this renunciation of worry. Like my Grandmother says: “Why worry? It doesn’t help.”

I’m Waiting for That Time is a song about longing for a hoped-for future time of social justice. It is appropriately in the style of worker-revolution songs from the 1920’s and 30’s.

A Better Deal is a song in a country-folk style, with backing vocals, and is really about the ethical treatment of some of the other sentient creatures on this planet, namely the animals, many of which are murdered to provide food for the species that is in the position of power to murder them, namely the Homo Spaiens. A Better Deal describes the satisfaction, both moral and physical, that comes from having a vegetarian diet. Diipak gives us on this number some interesting violin accompaniments.

My Heart Will Go on Loving You is the most rock oriented song on the album and is a spiritual love song.

Open My Heart Wide, a bhajan done in the style of 1950’s rock ’n’ roll. Listen to the doo-wop backing vocals. Can this be a true bhajan? My answer is simply: Why not?

Love is the Best: like my friend Praveda once said “Kjærlighet er alt!” (sometimes things can be said more succinctly in a foreign language. I guess the English would be “Love is everything”, or else maybe, like the Beatles said, “Love is all you need”) and that is the message of this song. Of all the songs on this album, this song has the most New York, that is to say Lou Reed style. It is an appropriate wrap-up to the Dada Veda penned lyrical content on this album.

The next songs are two versions of kirtan, yoga spiritual dance songs. The first, Good Old Kirtan, sounds like it could have been recorded live before a meditation session. The second, Kirtan Remix, is my favorite song on the album: Mantra music with the beat of today. It sounds like Joy Division or New Order gone from depressed to spiritual. And I was thinking that that is exactly Dada’s goal: to transform the feelings that people have in this materialistic world from the depressing to the uplifting, by realizing the spiritual nature of existence.

As we asked earlier: was it worth the wait? The answer is a definite yes. Dada Veda’s voice – his singing – has made a quantum improvement. Surely proof that practice makes perfect. The musicians are highly skilled, and the production, by Ryan Sam, is first class. With this album Dada Veda has raised the bar, not only for his own future albums, but for spiritually minded Indie Musicians as well. A real smörgåsbord of styles, Love is the Best is a real treat. Although the year is only half through, Dada Veda’s Love is the Best is one of the best Indie Music albums of 2009.

reviewed by Gary Levinson
IndieMusicReview.NET - Indie Music Review