Search - Sheila Chandra :: Zen Kiss

Some wonderful songs but be prepared to skip a few

quedice | Atlanta, GA USA | 07/10/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I can listen to most of the songs on this CD over and over again. Waiting, Shehnai Song, En Mireal del Penal, A Sailor's Life, Abbess Hildegard, and Kafi Noir are all good and often mesmerizing. My favorite is the haunting Love is a Killing Thing.You have to hear Speaking in Tongues III and Speaking in Tongues IV at least once so that you can marvel at Chandra's vocal inventiveness. But you may grow weary of them after a couple listenings. I always skip these songs now.La Sagesse (Women, I'm Calling You) and Woman and Child are two feminist anthems that you'll either love or hate. Depending upon your viewpoint, the lyrics are either profound or sophomoric. I skip them every time. But then, I'm a guy.This is the type of CD that playlists were made for. Edit out the songs you don't like, set the player on continuous play, and enjoy."

Wonderful example of this artist's vocal capabilites

rbeaton@islandnet.com | Victoria, Canada | 04/02/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Shiela blends east and west tonal values into some very enchanting melodies. Her voice is very realxing to listen to, yet she displays an incredible versatility in tone and articulation. Its the kind of recording that exists well in the background, but you will want to set aside some time to listen to the lyrics and composition."

The Zen Kiss -- Hit and Miss

Wil | AL | 09/03/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This album showcases the vocal talents of Sheila Chandra in much the same way as its "companion" disc, Weaving My Ancestors' Voices -- thinly layered drones (which pointed the way towards her best work in this area on ABoneCroneDrone) and breathy semi-a cappela vocals.

While this disc pretty much is a carbon copy of Weaving... it lacks a really strong track such as Ever So Lonely/Eyes/Ocean. Still, tracks such as Kafi Noir, A Sailor's Life and Love It Is A Killing Thing are very nice pieces.

Taken together, the best tracks on this album and Weaving... would have made for a wonderful album. Some tracks are skippable (moreso here than on Weaving...) while others enchant. And there is not a lot of variety, which can make some of the tracks begin to sound like others. Hit and miss. Still, Chandra's voice is wonderfully spellbinding. And that helps push this disc to 3 stars."