Joy of Life

Featuring good friend Govi on oud and sitar.

Award Winner! Winner - Best World Music CD - New Age Reporter.com (2006)

Track Listing
1. Morning Celebration 5:08 
2. Longing for the Unknown 7:17 
3. Evening Reflections 7:04 
4. Flowing Bamboo 6:05 
5. Return of the Rains 5:48 
6. Joy of Life 6:55 
7. Sahara Sunset 5:47 
8. Shruti's Song 6:30

Reviews

"This heart-centered album features Indian-inspired melodies that will spark your creative side. The album’s producer, Karunesh (Sanskrit for “compassion”), studied with musicians from around the world for five years while living in a German ashram. Now he creates spiritually oriented world-fusion CDs. In Joy of Life, he blends the modern and traditional, the acoustic and electric, to create tunes that open the heart and quiet the mind. Most songs open like a prayerful surrender, with mystical chimes and introspective single notes from a haunting female Indian vocalist, or an Indian violin, sitar, or bansuri (bamboo flute). These notes are soon joined by hypnotic percussion to create vibrant yet nurturing tracks. Each song is a story – a story of love, loss, hope, and sadness that graces a life fully embraced."

Crystal Dawes, Yoga + Joyful Living

"With albums like Zen Breakfast and Call of the Mystic, multi-instrumentalist/producer Karunesh has mastered the art of blending spirituality with compelling world fusion music. Joy of Life continues down that road and is possibly his most Eastern themed album to date, relying on the weepy drones of Indian strings and the breathy Bansuri to give his compositions a mystical flair. In the rhythm department, Karunesh doesn't stray far from the formula of his past offerings, with his signature brand of mood-drenched grooves (sprinkled with tabla beats and regional percussion) blending with smooth and meditative synth atmospheres. The frosting on the cake is the guest artists Karunesh has assembled, which include Govi, Chinmaya Dunster and Bikram, who help to make this album as much oh a joy as the title implies."

Music Design

"Providing inspiration, music can transform any meditation or movement class into a spiritual journey.  Give your spa-goers a head start to nirvana with these four noteworthy soundtracks.

In Joy of Life (Real Music), multi-instrumentalist Karunesh leads listeners on a spiritual journey.  Five years spent living in an ashram in Germany gave him the opportunity to learn and play with musicians from around the world. Now based in Maui, HI, Karunesh focuses on creating music with a sacred and healing resonance. This latest collection is no exception."

Heather Mikesell, American Spa Magazine

Listeners

"Every time I play the music of Karunesh, everybody wants to know who that artist is. Karunesh, your signature is unmistakable and the music truly carries your love and passion on the vibration of every note. You are gifted beyond measure and you are impeccably using you Divine gift. Thank you. Thank you."

Radha