ABOUT THE ALBUM ---------- Hanuman Vandana is a new collection of devotional songs performed by the esteemed musicians Ashit Desai, Hema Desai and Alap Desai and composed by Ashok Bhatt. The music was arranged and conducted by Ashit Desai. ABOUT ASHIT DESAI ---------- Shri Ashit Desai is a composer, vocalist, musician and music director of international renown. Well known for his rich voice and soulful light classical renderings, he is equally sought after for his creativity, which covers an astoundingly wide range. Ashitji has composed scores for films, TV serials, dance productions and dramas. Among his many credits, he has earned great acclaim for his music direction in the Doordarshan serial "Chanakya" and recently received an award for Best Music Director for his work on the Gujarati TV serial "Shraddha". A celebrated composer and performer of Gujarati Sugam Sangeet, Ashitji, along with his wife Hema Desai and their son Alap Desai, have performed around the world. Ashitji has been honored throughout his career for his contribution to music. At age 18, he won All India Radio's Best Singer Award. In both 1976 and 1989, Ashitji received the Gujarat State Award. In 1998, the Government of Gujarat conferred upon him the prestigious "Pt. Omkarnath Thakur Award." One of the most significant phases of Ashitji's career is his association with sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. During the 1982 Asian Games ("Asiad") held in New Delhi, the maestro enlisted Ashitji to conduct the cultural events during the opening and closing ceremonies of this international athletic event. In recognition of his achievement, the President of India, Giani Zail Singh, conferred upon Ashitji the Asiad Jyoti Medal. Ashitji also contributed to the music for Richard Attenborough's film "Gandhi," most notably as the singer of "Vaishnavjan" & "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram". In 1988, Ashitji conducted Panditji's orchestral compositions at the closing ceremony of the Festival of India in Moscow. As the maestro's assistant, orchestra conductor and singer, he toured the UK and India in 1989 with Panditji's ballet, "Ghanashyam". Over the past 30 years, Ashitji’s rich and varied body of work has distinguished him as an incomparable musician and composer. ABOUT ASHOK BHATT ---------- Ashok Bhatt is a vocalist and songwriter who composes and performs bhajans, Gujarati folk music and Hindi/Urdu ghazals. Over the past 40 years, he has given hundreds of performances across the United States. Ashokji was twice invited by the Smithsonian Institute to perform Gujarati folk music in Washington, D.C. – in 1976 at the Bicentennial Celebration and in 1984 at the Festival of American Folklife. A devoted patron of the arts, Ashokji has organized and sponsored hundreds of concerts in the Chicago area for leading Indian classical, light-classical and folk musicians. In 1995, Ashokji released his first three albums of original devotional songs entitled: "Shree Rama Naam Smarana," "Shri Krishna Naam Smarana" and "Shri Shiva Naam Smarana." These were followed in 2001 by three new albums of original bhajans entitled: “Ganesh Vandana,” “Matru Vandana” and “Guru Vandana.” ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ---------- Music Arranged and Conducted by Ashit Desai Lyrics and Music by Ashok Bhatt Recorded at City Heart Digital Studio - Mumbai Recording Engineers: Tausif and Suresh Vocalists: Ashit Desai, Hema Desai, Alap Desai Guitar: Chintu Singh Tabla: Alap Desai, Manoj Bhati, Vijay Dhumal Percussion: Navin Manraja, Dipak Borkar Sitar: Sunil Das Vibrophone: Dnyanesh Deo Harmonium: Akhalaq Hussein Dholak: Javed Hussein Flute: Sandeep Kulkarni Keyboard: Pratik Shah Chorus: Mala Shah, Manisha Doctor, Bijal Parekh, Nitin Sampat