Bhakti Rasa

Hybrid Magazine June 21st 2006
In general, I feel that the entire world music scene suffers from a lack of ingenuity and fresh ideas. Not so with Bhakti Rasa, a Maha-Shakti band hailing from Denver, Colorado. Their debut release, Nectar Ov Devotion, is packed with brilliant polyrhythmic drumming and pleasing stringed instruments. The record creates an intense mood of spiritual energy, at times trancey and meditative, at others highly sensual and danceable.
The music is nothing short of incredible. The rhythms are driving and beautifully varied, while the synthesizer creates nice pads and perfect atmosphere on which the sitar can rest. "Hari Bol" is a slice of sitar-heavy delight, bringing to mind the salad days of The Mission UK (Children) and simultaneously infusing the body with a need to swirl hips and dance in some wild rumpus. The drums are sentient and ever evolving, while the bass keeps a steady throb and the sitar weaves its tangible spell about the listener. While the beginning songs focus more on tribal and ethnic rhythms, the album makes a turn towards more modern fare with tracks like "Eala Dance", bringing more synthesizers in, and creating music that could sit readily in a DJ's club set.
Nectar Ov Devotion is filled with tracks that could just as soon inspire belly dancing and pagan mysticism as it could pull the right audience onto the dance floor to grind away in tribal ecstasy.
-L. Keane
- Hybrid Magazine

Article Published: Friday, December 24, 2006 News Year's Eve

By Ricardo Baca | Denver Post Pop Music Critic
New Year’s smokin' bash
Desert in December:

The Arabian Nights Masquerade did "transport us to the Casbahs of Arabian lore." And the sounds were totally sweet. The entertainment for the evening was Bhakti Rasa, a local group calling itself a Maha Shakti band and lead by the dreamy vocals of Ronnie Nelson. All the desert action went down at Rock Island (1614 15th St.). Incredible beats and lush sounds filled the ether. It looks like another hit amongst the diverse music scene.
- The Denver Post