Utilizing native instruments and sounds, the Mantra album transports listeners directly into the heart of India. The sitar (a traditional stringed instrument), tabla (hand-drums), and bansuri flute bring flavors of ancient tradition to your ears, all the while mixed with modern instruments from the Western world. Lyrics are carried along in the Bengali and Hindi languages. "Mantra," the title track, is sung in English, and scriptures are laced throughout. All of the proceeds from this album go to support Shampa and the work of Iris India. Thank you for purchasing this album and partnering with us to touch the nations! Shampa grew up in the slums of Kolkata, India. Though she is not even 5 feet tall, she has a huge heart of love. Shampa and her husband oversee the operations of Iris Ministries in India. They are reaching children in India who have been exploited and enslaved, or in some cases, simply forgotten and left behind by society. They are powerfully touching the nation of India as they rescue orphans and widows. They are imparting hope to the ones who are broken and hopeless, and they also are reaching persecuted believers in ways no one else can. John Gabriel Arends is a recording artist from Kalispell, Montana, where he serves as a pastor at The River. John is a spiritual son of Shampa, and he desires to bring encounters with God's love, truth, and power to everyone he meets everywhere he goes.