Ammu’s Treasures (out now via Soul Chants Music) is a hug for the world, a message of Love, Light, Laughter for all ages. From Grammy-nominated artist, Chandrika Tandon, Ammu’s Treasures is a three-volume omnibus of 35 songs and 21 chants that invites its listeners to reminisce or make new memories with traditional folk tunes and familiar popular songs and poems.

These songs speak of faraway places, in different genres and languages, with varied arrangements. They are meant for quiet times, happy times, and any time. This treasury of music also includes ancient Vedic chants set to Indian scales, aimed to soothe and relax.

Chandrika, with an incredible cabinet of musicians, reimagines what children’s music should be. Adding their incredible artistry to complex arrangements, Ammu’s Treasures features many maestros, including Cyro Baptista, Martin Bejerano, Peter Calo, Purbayan Chatterjee, Rakesh Chaurasia, Béla Fleck, Eugene Friesen, Maeve Gilchrist, Jamey Haddad, Bobby Keyes, Kevin Kliesch, Howard Levy, Romero Lubambo, Marcus Rojas, Dave Schroeder, Michael Ward-Bergeman, Kenny Werner, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Scott Cannizzaro, Teese Gohl, John Kiehl, Kevin Killen, Mirek Vana, and more. Marc Lumer and Bob Spang contributed their talents to beautiful accompanying lyric videos.

Inspired by hours of constantly singing to her little grandchildren, Ammu’s Treasures, the former a term of endearment, means happiness and purity (and is also what Chandrika’s grandchildren call her), opens on the gently fervent, softly driven Children of the Stars and the lushly orchestrated I Will Bring You Flowers and then we get the atmospherically warm embrace of the French-sung À la claire fontaine, the bright Kookaburra, the impish Teddy Bears’ Picnic, the languishing beauty within Ash Grove, the smooth, harmonica-driven Surangani, and then comes the quieter fare of Wish You Could Be Here, the sprightly Lemon Tree, the gentle storytelling within Polly Von, the cute ditty You Are Old Father William, and the Parisian-hued Que Sera Sera.

Along next is the perky Will You Walk A Little Faster? and the flourishing Bye Bye Blackbird and they are in turn backed by the highly atmospheric Woodpecker’s Song, the dutiful Sway, the sterner-sculpted fare of Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, a rather delightful Scarborough Fair, the banjo-led Miller of the Dee, and then comes the playful, Indian/English-sung On A Cool Summer Morning, the veritably classical Molly Malone, a rambunctious, yet controlled Vive La Compagnie, a terrifically-paced (How Much) Is that Doggy In the Window? and then we get a delightfully heartfelt Listen to the Pouring Rain.

The next track on this most magical of collections is the aching yearn found within Santa Lucia and the ragtime-esque Now’s The Time For Planting Seeds and they are followed by the gentle hipsway of Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be?, the beautiful guitar piece Where Have All the Flowers Gone, the concertina-led Donna Donna, an ornate version of Edelweiss, the box-set rounding out on the longing found within Beautiful Dreamer, the Eastern-flavored Au Clair de la Lune, a cute There’s a Hole In My Bucket, closing on a delicate Hush Little Baby and the bonus track of a quite impassioned, French-sung Que Sont Devenues Les Fleurs.

Children of the Stars / I Will Bring You Flowers / À la claire fontaine / Kookaburra / Teddy Bears’ Picnic / Ash Grove / Surangani / Wish You Could Be Here / Lemon Tree / Polly Von / You Are Old Father William/ Que Sera Sera / Will You Walk A Little Faster? / Bye Bye Blackbird / Woodpecker’s Song / Sway / Wynken, Blynken, and Nod/ Scarborough Fair / Miller of the Dee / On A Cool Summer Morning/ Molly Malone/ Vive La Compagnie / (How Much) Is that Doggy In the Window? / Listen to the Pouring Rain/ Santa Lucia / Now’s The Time For Planting Seeds/ Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be? / Where Have All the Flowers Gone / Donna Donna / Edelweiss/ Beautiful Dreamer / Au Clair de la Lune / There’s a Hole In My Bucket / Hush Little Baby / Que Sont Devenues Les Fleurs (Bonus Track).

However, the recording actually comes to a close with Ammu’s Chants, a collection of 21 chants that run consecutively for just over twenty minutes.

Om Om Om / Vakra Tunda Mahaa Kaaya / Gurur Bramha Gurur Vishnu / Poojyaya Raghavendraya / Tryambakam Yajaamahe/ Om Namashivaya/ Vanamali Gadhi/ Shrangee / Om Namo Narayanaya / Sri Rama Rama Ramethi / Hare Rama Hare Krishna/ Sarva Mangala Mangalye / Yaadevi Sarva Bhootheshu / Asato Maa Sad Gamaya / Om Bhoor Bhuvasvaha / Bhadram Karnebih / Poornamadhah Poornamidham / Sarvesham Swasthir Bhavathu / Shamno Mitrah / Sahana Vavatu / Lokha Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu / Om Jai Jagadeesh Hare.

Official Purchase Links

www.chandrikatandon.com