Deva Premal grew up in Germany in a spiritual family where she was introduced at an early age to chanting and meditation. Her mother is a musician and her father an artist.
"My father has been on the spiritual path since the 50's, studying Yoga, spiritual scriptures and whatever books were available back then, making it his daily discipline to meditate every morning between 3 and 5 a.m," she says. "When I was growing up he devised exercises for my sister and I, to help us become more aware of the moment: We were taught to say 'Om' whenever we placed something on the table, for example. Another was to say 'Ram' whenever we switched on the light!"
As a child she studied the violin and piano but it wasn't until she met Miten, at the Osho Commune in India, that she began exploring her voice.
"When Miten began encouraging me to sing harmony with him, I didn't need a big push! I had grown up with music so the ground work was already done. And we sounded pretty good together!
At first I played a supporting role, singing second voice, playing keyboards, and co-leading our workshops, which used mantras and chants from different cultures. I was very shy to sing alone, but encouraged by Miten, I became more confident and eventually discovered my voice."
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Miten had established a successful career in the '70s and '80s as a singer-songwriter, touring with such bands as Fleetwood Mac, Ry Cooder, and Lou Reed. He left that life to pursue a more spiritual path, which is reflected in his meditative, joyful and often sensual songs. "Over the years playing music for me had become associated with pain, frustration, ambition, helplessness," he says. "I was damaged by my years in the music business and ready to embrace a new set of values."
His turning point came when he moved into the Medina Commune in Suffolk, England. "It was a very different life. I worked in the cleaning 'temple' and later in the kitchen. I loved the simplicity of life there.
And most of all, I loved the Music meditation Groups and Sannyas Celebrations on Saturday nights. These were magic times. I felt my love returning... my love for life, and my love for music. And I was given the opportunity to express that love, and the gratitude I felt, simply by doing what I loved best: playing music."
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Since then Miten has incorporated elements of Sufi dance, natural rhythms and ambient grooves into his music, which combined with Premal's mantras and chants form a rich, unforgettable tapestry of sound.
His solo CDs include Blown Away, Dance of Life and Global Heart Native Soul. His most recent, and their latest record Songs for the Inner Lover brings together what must be considered an exemplar of worldly and spiritual love.
"Premal and I have never thought in terms of having a 'future' making beautiful music," he says. "Our music has always felt precious right from the start. Our job is just to travel and share it, which was something we have found very easy to do.
And over time more and more people have come to join us in the celebration."
