Golden Spine

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Golden Spine - Universal Prayer

She originally thought she wouldn't even take a guitar on her first trip to India eight years ago. However, after two weeks in, she knew she couldn't manage without it and so she bought one right there. When her teacher in the ashram transmitted Gayatri Mantra to her, a mantra dedicated to the sun, she sat with her guitar and played it everywhere.

By the waterfalls, on the roof of the ashram or on the streets of the city where passers-by were joining it. "I felt I was participating in the good vibe," says yogini, musician and body therapist Andrea Knotková, who is behind the Golden Spine project and its debut album of Vedic mantras called Universal Prayer.

She devoted her regular long-term journeys to India not only to studying yoga, body work & meditation, but also to grow her collection of mantras. She experienced something with each of them, each given to her by a guru. After several albums, which she recorded in Czech or English as a genuine folk singer called Iamme Candlewick, she realized something quite different was growing in her hands that required a different approach.

The literal translation of the word mantra from Sanskrit is an instrument of the mind, and as such, the Vedic mantras are part of India's oldest teachings and bear the original philosophy of advaita vedanta, and with it, of yoga, thus universal unity. In addition, the effect of the mantras can be markedly physical, vibrating and can put one in a sort of trance. Aware of all this, Knotková began to compose music for the eight selected - for her most personal - mantras.

The musical component came from cooperation with her partner, musician and leader of the band Please The Trees, Václav Havelka. At the beginning there was only her voice, to which guitar, harmonium and percussion were added. The result is not an album that wants to imitate the eastern sound and chase the exotic, but an experimental record that goes right after the internal vibration and message of the mantras. Just the short Daimoku mantra says, "I surrender myself to the law of eternal truth." All this using a hypnotic guitar sound and a band lineup.

“Mantras are no one's property and anyone who resonates with them can join in,” adds Knotková, and thanks to this quality that encourages singing together, Universal Prayer has become a collective work that attracts musicians of all styles and aims. Among the guests of the multi-genre album are multi-instrumentalist Thor Harris, as well as songwriters Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Bill Callahan, singer Lenka Dusilová, Kenseth Thibideau, Chris Koltay, members of Swans, Silver Jews, Lambchop, The Black Heart Procession, Wrekmeister Harmonies and Dallas Acid.

“My father worked as a janitor at the Alice Coltrane ashram. When he wasn't drinking, or even when he was, he soaked up a lot of music that he later shared with us late into the night. Where some kids got "Twinkle Twinkle", we got heady Sanskrit nonsense. It's good to be able to translate such ambiguous impressions into solid sung form, cathartically.” quotes Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

“Universal Prayer is pagan spiritual music. Decidedly female and thunderously powerful. Exactly what our world wrought with toxic masculinity needs now.” adds Thor Harris.

All of them have connected in their own unique way to the basic universal statement of the mantras that speaks of the non-dual nature of this universe.

The result of this is music aimed at concentration and connection. Music that invites people together.

Finally, the synergy of all these musicians shows what is so dear to Knotková about mantras -

the belief that this world is a good place.