The Inevitable Blossoming of the Heart - Digital

Devotional singer, and Grammy nominee, Deva Premal and her partner *Miten *have spent decades sharing their music with audiences around the world, touching hearts through the power of mantra and sacred sound. With her new album, The Inevitable Blossoming of the Heart, Deva weaves together her signature Sanskrit mantras with luminous fresh influences from Costa Rica, Uruguay, and Yoruban Africa.

Recorded in Costa Rica, and infused with its lush vibrancy, the album was produced by longtime collaborator, multi-instrumentalist, and arranger Joby Baker, who also introduced his one-of-a-kind arbutar—a five-stringed instrument he carved from a fallen tree on his Canadian ranch. A blend of guitar, ukulele, and bass, it holds a deep personal resonance for Baker, as the decorative inlay contains the ashes of his late parents.

The album also honours Deva’s father, Wolfgang Fries, a spiritual seeker who introduced her to mantras in early childhood and meticulously created a handwritten Sanskrit dictionary. His presence is woven into the album through the percussion, sampled from hand drums he crafted by hand. “To have my father’s spirit with me on this album makes it even closer to my heart,” Deva shares. This marks Deva’s first solo release since her Grammy-nominated Deva in 2018. As always, she is joined by Miten, whose presence she describes as integral: “His inspirational presence, guidance and vision is woven throughout the album. Every note I sing contains the spirit of our union and the amazing life we share together.”

The album delivers the devotional mantras that have made Deva an avatar in the world of spiritual music. These chants honour Mother Earth (“Gaia Ma”), “The Three Jewels” of Buddhism, Shiva (“Shiva” and “Om Namah Shivaya Gurave”), and The Four Sublime States of Buddhism (“The Four Immeasurables”).

On “The Three Jewels (Buddham Sharanam),” Deva duets with mentor and voice coach, Nicki Wells, paying reverent homage to the Teachers (Buddham), the Teachings (Dhammam), and the Community (Sangham). “The Sanskrit language has a unique magic—it doesn’t just describe these qualities, it activates them energetically on the soul level,” Deva says.

Three tracks introduce fresh musical influences. “Ide Were Were (Revisited)” celebrates Ochun, the Yoruban-Vodun goddess of sweet water and sacred femininity. Originally recorded for Love is Space (2000), this new rendition is a haunting, deeply felt homage, highlighted by Baker’s arbutar.

“Afepakian” was co-created with Costa Rican musician Daniel Mora, whose deep connection to his country’s indigenous people shines through in the song’s ocarina flute (an ancient Costa Rican instrument), natural soundscapes, and poetic indigenous language of Maleku (with a cameo appearance by a howler monkey).

The breezy, tropical “Alma” is a tender Spanish-language offering from Uruguayan composer Mariana Ingold and musician Kit Walker, carrying the message: There is no distance between your soul and my soul; there is only love, only calm.

“The album feels like an unfolding, a blossoming that is still happening before my eyes,” says Deva. “Every time I listen to it, I feel tenderly infused by the healing vibration of the sacred sounds. Please accept this gentle invitation to open your heart, close your eyes, and move your body to the rhythm of the inevitable blossoming of the heart. Let’s meet there!”

With her unmistakable, soothing voice, Deva Premal continues to create soundscapes that open the heart and uplift the soul.