Several hundred inmates packed the San Quentin Catholic Chapel, chanting sacred mantras with Deva Premal and her band.
“Spirituality is our theme. Mantras are powerful and they reach out,” Premal and partner Miten said later. “We offer tools for meditation and inner peace so that the energy of the mind can be channeled in a good way. Music with mantra stays with you.”
The couple has been writing, singing and playing beautiful music together for more than 23 years. They performed on Sept. 12 at San Quentin.
They came as a five-piece band – most of them flying in from Germany – to begin yet another leg of their current U.S. tour.
Having gained global popularity, the group also tours in countries as diverse as England, Spain, Russia, Israel and Australia. To date, they have recorded 17 CDs.
Their musical compositions blend mystical Vedic chants, ethnic melodies and mesmerizing vocal harmonies to create an atmosphere of healing, spacious joy and shared connection.
Highlights included Premal’s exquisite voice, Miten’s acoustic guitar arpeggios and the exotic sounds from flutist Manose.
Catholic Chaplain George Williams introduced the band. He explained that their performance was part of the chapel’s monthly devotional concert series called “Music from the Heart.” The series also includes cultural presentations meant to celebrate different religious and cultural traditions.
As the band began playing, singing and chanting, a sense of wonder and appreciation filled the audience. The men clapped enthusiastically after each song. Deva gently encouraged them several times not to clap, but settle into the silence. Later into the set, a rich cloak of silence enveloped and an incredible sense of deep peace permeated the space.
A tender moment surfaced when Miten told a poignant story about a song he wrote called “Native Son.” It captured the essence of longing to connect with his son who was thousands of miles away.
Styles of music included reggae, easy listening and blues. At one point an energetic rendition of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “You Gotta Move” thrilled the crowd and a litany of cheers and clapping erupted.
The band’s technician, Caroline, called the experience at San Quentin her “favorite show of the year.”
In an interview after the 90-minute concert, Premal and Miten expressed their reactions.
“We’ve performed in other prisons and enjoy the opportunity. We’re grateful,” Premal said. “We feel a connection with inmates. We see them as beautiful and shining. We look for the dimension of silence where there’s no distinction between us. There’s nowhere to go but in. We always feel like we’re home – people are all the same everywhere we play. “
The band’s unified vision is: “Love is the only prayer.”
“We began just playing for friends. We played in the moment and it just mushroomed. We never looked at it as a career. We just love what we do.”
Reaction from the audience included:
“Last night I had more fun in a church than I did on the streets abusing alcohol and drugs,” said Frank Mabry III.
“There were moments during the performance where I was able to let go – felt overwhelmed by the moment – and bawled my eyes out. I felt the love they brought to the moment,” said Rudy Camozzi.
“I had body aches, soreness and a headache when I arrived at the event. I was hoping there wasn’t going to be a lot of shrieking. When I left, I felt refreshed and my headache was gone. It was a healing experience,” said Dan Myers.
