Grammy winner Falu releases new album of ancient vedic and sanskrit chants for global listeners
Grammy Award-winning Indian-American vocalist and composer Falu, along with her husband and young son, has released a new album of ancient Indian Vedic and Sanskrit chants, bringing a medium of peace, connection and well-being to a global audience.
"Offering: Ancient and Timeless Chants", released on Friday, has been brought together by Falu, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist and her husband Gaurav Shah and their 15-year-old son Nishaad Shah.
The family described the album as a “deeply personal” compilation rooted in the musical and spiritual traditions of South Asia, passing on a rich tradition of classical music from one generation to the next.
The album features Vedic and Sanskrit chants, bhajans, prayers, and devotional works in a cinematic family recording which connects centuries-old spiritual music with the modern language of reflection, meditation, and well-being.
“We wanted to make something that people could turn to when they need a moment of peace, light, or connection,” the Shah family said in a statement.
“These chants have been part of our lives and our spiritual traditions for generations, and our hope is that they can bring something meaningful to
anyone who listens, regardless of where they come from or what they believe,” they said.
The album features timeless and traditional bhajans and chants including "Asato Ma Sadgamaya", "Ganesh Shloka", "Vakratunda Mahakaya", "Madhurashtakam", the "GayatriMantra", "Om Jai Jagdish Hare", "Om Sahana Vavatu", "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram", and "Saraswati Vandana and "Kundendu Tusharahara Dhavala", among others.
Produced by a team of Grammy Award-winning producers and engineers, and including a wide array of professional musicians, the album is a offers an “enduring power” of music to a global audience.
"Chant has long held an important place within Indian musical and spiritual traditions, and ‘Offering’ approaches these works as music that can become part of everyday moments of listening, reflection, meditation, and well-being,” the statement said.
Born and raised in Mumbai and trained in the Jaipur Gharana tradition, Falu has collaborated with acclaimed artists including Yo-Yo Ma and A R Rahman, and has performed at Carnegie Hall and the White House.
The album marks a return for Gaurav Shah to the Hindustani classical and spiritual traditions that helped shape his musical life. His journey includes studying the Bansuri with Pandit Ronu Majumdar, becoming an initiated disciple of Ustad Sultan Khan, and performing across genres on stages including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Lollapalooza, and Wolf Trap.
Nishaad continues his study of Indian music alongside his parents, carrying the family’s musical tradition into a new generation.
In 2023, Falu and Gaurav Shah had released the track "Abundance in Millets", featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi in celebration of the International Year of the Millets. In the song, Prime Minister Modi talked about the importance of the “Shree Anna” and the initiative to commemorate 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
