July 07/15/23, 2023
After earning accolades and awards with his debut album, Stairway to Nirvana, Indian-born composer, producer and guitarist Samir Bodhi builds on his new age vision through his second album, MEMORIES OF EMPATHY. Samir brings a Western-influenced collection resting on its Eastern foundations, driven by his need to restore empathy among a sea of human self-absorption. By bringing together different styles of music, Samir encourages listeners to reminisce fondly on where they come from, and what is meaningful, to enhance their compassion for their neighbors.
A resident of Southern California, Indian-born musical visionary and tenured professor Samir Bodhi's multi-faceted life and career reflects the classic immigrant experience of thriving in the pursuit of his creative and academic dreams. His accolades include accompanying legends such as Hemant Kumar, Runa Laila, Bani Thakur and Hoimonti Shukla and performing on Calcutta Television with famous artists in many prestigious venues in Calcutta, India. In the US, he performed with Ghazal badshah Jagjit Singh, composed Emotional Eyes, a modern Bengali album for his wife, singer Madhumita Chatterjee, and arranged and recorded the first ever Broadway-style Bengali musical Sinbad, performed in Los Angeles in 2006.
After reaching #1 on Amazon’s New Age New Release chart and #4 on the Zone Music Reporter’s Global Airplay charts with his debut album, Stairway to Nirvana Samir Bodhi returns to new age fusion with a second collection, MEMORIES OF EMPATHY. Building on the album’s predecessor, Bodhi develops his greater musical vision to bring different cultures and communities together to increase mutual understanding and human empathy.
Bodhi bands together with friends and renowned musicians to produce a new age fusion of traditional Indian melodies and instruments merged with relaxing Western beats. The album has been referred to as one that blueprints a new world order suitable for fans of various interests, musical tastes, and lifestyles.
Bodhi envisions the album to have an important impact on all listeners. He says, “If we want to create a more peaceful world, we all must start with empathy, putting one in another person's situation. I hope that the six tracks we have created in the new album will bring peace and help people to have more empathy in their lives. I hope they take some time to understand someone else's situation, to be empathetic.”
Bodhi’s new album serves as a greater reflection of his multifaceted perspectives as an Indian-born musical visionary and internationally-recognized scientist and scholar who thrives in pursuit of his ambitions. The album piggybacks off Bodhi’s greater vision to connect people beyond their many differences through music, a vision that he began with his first album two years ago.
Memories of Empathy is a product of cooperation among talented artists working alongside Bodhi to reminisce on more empathetic days. The album features three tracks co-produced by guitarist/bassist Sanjoy Das and three by American multi-instrumentalist David Vito Gregoli. Sanjoy Das previously collaborated with Bodhi in the development of Stairway to Nirvana, and has been featured on Ustad Zakir Hussain’s “Huzur” live series and MTV India. The final track, “World of Empathy,” features the Indian film composer and Indosphere keyboardist Louis Banks, who has also been referred to as the “Godfather of Indian Jazz.”
A Samir Bodhi album isn’t complete without transcendent vocals. Bollywood singer Madhumita Chatterjee and Indian classical vocalist Supriyo Dutta’s vocals can be heard on the album’s “Have and Have Nots” track. Madhumita Chatterjee has co-sung with legends such as Anup Jalota and Kumar Sanu, and has collaborated with several composers in India and Hollywood; she and Samir Bodhi are married. Supriyo Dutta has performed all over the world and trained under critically acclaimed Indian classical artists such as Pandit Ramkrishna Basu.
Critics have already raved about Samir Bodhi’s latest collection, speaking highly of its ability to revive human spirits and its uplifting essence. Vivek Kumar, writing for New Music Alert, opines, “He infuses a lofty purpose into his music, every time coming up with a startling new theme connected to reviving human spirits and emancipating human feelings. The end results from his compositions wish to transform humans and revive the world."
We can see that the gap between the haves and have-nots is widening and that people’s self-absorption is reducing human empathy to a distant recollection, according to Samir Bodhi. Memories of Empathy is easy flowing and comfortable music reconciling and unifying seemingly disparate elements of human nature and the perceived difference between the rich and poor of both Eastern and Western worlds. Memories of Empathy excels in reminding us to help people on their spiritual path and connecting with others, finding our internal emotions that match another person's emotions within a soothing East meets West sonic and rhythmic aesthetic.
This second album from Samir Bodhi explores the natural capacity to place oneself in another's position, resonating with the feelings or attitudes present in oneself and the ability to share the feelings of another. On his first album, Stairway to Nirvana, as well as on this newest release, Samir has the ability to stir, thrill, and inspire while reminding us that we should not rush any aspect, the sound is rich, polished, glossy, exceptionally professional, lush, atmospheric and on this album feels mostly Western influenced, while including many traditional elements expressing Indian sensibilities.
The artists heard on Memories of Empathy are:
Samir Bodhi on Nylon Guitar, Ableton; Partha Paul on Synth, Saxophone, Rhythm Programming
Madhumita Chatterjee, Bollywood vocalist
Sanjoy Das on Guitar, Bass
David Vito Gregoli on Synth, Piano, 6 & 12 String guitars, Bass, Fretless bass, Irish Bouzouki, Mandolin, Dumbek, Accordion, Cello, Sarangi samples, 808 drums, Gondola sounds
Sandip Chatterjee on Santoor
Subir Ray on Indian flute
Joydeb Nandi on Tabla
Louis Banks on Electronic Piano
TRACKS
1 Have and Have Nots (5:53)
2 Heaven So High (4:27)
3 Affinity (6:30)
4 Compassion-Karuna (5:38)
5 Indifference (4:43)
6 World of Empathy (6:48)
https://samirbodhi.hearnow.com/memories-of-empathy
A resident of Southern California, Indian-born musical visionary and tenured professor Samir Bodhi's multi-faceted life and career reflects the classic immigrant experience of thriving in the pursuit of his creative and academic dreams. His accolades include accompanying legends such as Hemant Kumar, Runa Laila, Bani Thakur and Hoimonti Shukla and performing on Calcutta Television with famous artists in many prestigious venues in Calcutta, India. In the US, he performed with Ghazal badshah Jagjit Singh, composed Emotional Eyes, a modern Bengali album for his wife, singer Madhumita Chatterjee, and arranged and recorded the first ever Broadway-style Bengali musical Sinbad, performed in Los Angeles in 2006.
After reaching #1 on Amazon’s New Age New Release chart and #4 on the Zone Music Reporter’s Global Airplay charts with his debut album, Stairway to Nirvana Samir Bodhi returns to new age fusion with a second collection, MEMORIES OF EMPATHY. Building on the album’s predecessor, Bodhi develops his greater musical vision to bring different cultures and communities together to increase mutual understanding and human empathy.
Bodhi bands together with friends and renowned musicians to produce a new age fusion of traditional Indian melodies and instruments merged with relaxing Western beats. The album has been referred to as one that blueprints a new world order suitable for fans of various interests, musical tastes, and lifestyles.
Bodhi envisions the album to have an important impact on all listeners. He says, “If we want to create a more peaceful world, we all must start with empathy, putting one in another person's situation. I hope that the six tracks we have created in the new album will bring peace and help people to have more empathy in their lives. I hope they take some time to understand someone else's situation, to be empathetic.”
Bodhi’s new album serves as a greater reflection of his multifaceted perspectives as an Indian-born musical visionary and internationally-recognized scientist and scholar who thrives in pursuit of his ambitions. The album piggybacks off Bodhi’s greater vision to connect people beyond their many differences through music, a vision that he began with his first album two years ago.
Memories of Empathy is a product of cooperation among talented artists working alongside Bodhi to reminisce on more empathetic days. The album features three tracks co-produced by guitarist/bassist Sanjoy Das and three by American multi-instrumentalist David Vito Gregoli. Sanjoy Das previously collaborated with Bodhi in the development of Stairway to Nirvana, and has been featured on Ustad Zakir Hussain’s “Huzur” live series and MTV India. The final track, “World of Empathy,” features the Indian film composer and Indosphere keyboardist Louis Banks, who has also been referred to as the “Godfather of Indian Jazz.”
A Samir Bodhi album isn’t complete without transcendent vocals. Bollywood singer Madhumita Chatterjee and Indian classical vocalist Supriyo Dutta’s vocals can be heard on the album’s “Have and Have Nots” track. Madhumita Chatterjee has co-sung with legends such as Anup Jalota and Kumar Sanu, and has collaborated with several composers in India and Hollywood; she and Samir Bodhi are married. Supriyo Dutta has performed all over the world and trained under critically acclaimed Indian classical artists such as Pandit Ramkrishna Basu.
Critics have already raved about Samir Bodhi’s latest collection, speaking highly of its ability to revive human spirits and its uplifting essence. Vivek Kumar, writing for New Music Alert, opines, “He infuses a lofty purpose into his music, every time coming up with a startling new theme connected to reviving human spirits and emancipating human feelings. The end results from his compositions wish to transform humans and revive the world."
We can see that the gap between the haves and have-nots is widening and that people’s self-absorption is reducing human empathy to a distant recollection, according to Samir Bodhi. Memories of Empathy is easy flowing and comfortable music reconciling and unifying seemingly disparate elements of human nature and the perceived difference between the rich and poor of both Eastern and Western worlds. Memories of Empathy excels in reminding us to help people on their spiritual path and connecting with others, finding our internal emotions that match another person's emotions within a soothing East meets West sonic and rhythmic aesthetic.
This second album from Samir Bodhi explores the natural capacity to place oneself in another's position, resonating with the feelings or attitudes present in oneself and the ability to share the feelings of another. On his first album, Stairway to Nirvana, as well as on this newest release, Samir has the ability to stir, thrill, and inspire while reminding us that we should not rush any aspect, the sound is rich, polished, glossy, exceptionally professional, lush, atmospheric and on this album feels mostly Western influenced, while including many traditional elements expressing Indian sensibilities.
The artists heard on Memories of Empathy are:
Samir Bodhi on Nylon Guitar, Ableton; Partha Paul on Synth, Saxophone, Rhythm Programming
Madhumita Chatterjee, Bollywood vocalist
Sanjoy Das on Guitar, Bass
David Vito Gregoli on Synth, Piano, 6 & 12 String guitars, Bass, Fretless bass, Irish Bouzouki, Mandolin, Dumbek, Accordion, Cello, Sarangi samples, 808 drums, Gondola sounds
Sandip Chatterjee on Santoor
Subir Ray on Indian flute
Joydeb Nandi on Tabla
Louis Banks on Electronic Piano
TRACKS
1 Have and Have Nots (5:53)
2 Heaven So High (4:27)
3 Affinity (6:30)
4 Compassion-Karuna (5:38)
5 Indifference (4:43)
6 World of Empathy (6:48)
https://samirbodhi.hearnow.com/memories-of-empathy
