Vineetha Menon’s RASA dips its toes in the sacred and lets the listener swim deep into a pool of divine devotion. Drawing inspiration from the Srimad Bhagavatam and the legend of the Rasa Lila, Menon channels centuries of mystic love, longing, and surrender. She’s bringing you Eastern classical ragas mixing effortlessly with ambient textures and Western harmonic touches, bridging time, geography, and spirit.
Right off the bat, the opening track “Interlude: The Gopis Pray to Divine Mother” sets a slow-burning, meditative ambiance. Menon’s voice arrives deep and velvety, almost like a sacred chant drifting through temple corridors in just more than a minute. And then there’s “Aganitha Tara,” which builds a whole mood. Swirling strings, tribal percussion, and her magnetic, deep storytelling voice, create a spellbinding crescendo.
We see a shift in color in “Madhura Madhura,” which brings a more sonorous, lighter touch. The percussion taps gently while flutes meander like a breeze, and Menon sings with soft joy, like she’s reminiscing about a sweet childhood prayer. On the other hand, in “Natavaralal Giridhara Gopal,” Menon trades intensity for serenity. The call-and-response style with the choir-like harmonies gives it a devotional, almost ritualistic charm, and the echo of her voice glides like a calm river over gently rolling percussion.
Raised between India and Wales and now living in California, Menon brings her home to the global sphere. Now, she’s preserving and reviving her ancestry with reverence, warmth, and a big-hearted mission in RASA. Get culturally enlightened with this gorgeous collection on Spotify.
STAY IN TOUCH:
INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
Review by: Naomi Joan