Within the classical music traditions of North and South India, the human voice is the instrument par excellence. Conversely, the mark of a master instrumentalist is the ability to evoke the power, suppleness and nuance of a great singer. And within the pantheon of great South Asian vocalists, few names kindle such intense admiration and reverence as that of singer Lakshmi Shankar. As this new disc amply demonstrates, Lakshmi Shankar has a special affinity for the Hindu devotional songs called bhajans. The emotional core of this recital is Lakshmi’s exquisite evocations of love (be it earthly or divine) and its darker twin: the torment of being separated from one’s beloved. On this passionate recording - co-produced by ambient music pioneer Michael Brook - Lakshmi sets traditional poems (including two by Mirabai) to her own improvised melodies, in which her soaring voice is sensitively accompanied by Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri on tabla, Pandit Ramesh Mishra on sarangi, and Suniti Bergman on tanpura.