by Dada Veda
www.
dadaveda.com

reviewed by Daniel Haven

Dada Veda founded New Renaissance magazine in 1990 and remains active on our editorial board. The last five years has found Dada in Albania managing a successful micro-credit program as well as a kindergarten and a nascent primary school in Tirana.
 
 From the opening title track Dada inspires us to look inside ourselves for answers. The simple peace of meditation and closeness to God is the central message. “He’s right there inside of us, He’s brighter than the sun,” sings Dada in his cheery voice, like a favorite uncle.
 
 All the songs are upbeat and happy. They speak of hope, light, unity and better times ahead. Cynicism and phony sophistication dominate our tense and complex times. Dada, through his simplicity and charm, cuts through all that. His songs give us a mental break, and return us to an age of innocence. Perhaps, if we can re-discover some very basic spiritual values, we would not feel so lost in 2003.
 
 Dada’s style is reminiscent of Pete Seeger or even Woody Guthrie. He is backed by acoustic guitars on all songs. On some of the up-tempo songs drum, bass and electric guitar give a folk-rock feel.
 
 The appeal of Dada’s songs lie in the familiarity and immediacy of the melodies and the message. Most of the songs are easy to learn. The lyrics and guitar chords are available on his web-site www.dadaveda.com. This CD may very well yield future sing-along favorites, suitable for campfires, front porches and spiritual gatherings. The best tracks include the vegetarian anthem “I Don’t Eat Meat”, the call for universalism on “Rainbow of Humanity”, the good advice of “The Wise Ones Say”, and the call to change the world on “As The World Spins Around”.
 
 If you’re a baby boomer, “Brighter than the Sun” will bring back the sixties and the starry eyed idealism that you secretly miss. If you are younger, but tired of all the artifice of modern music, let this CD show you how spirit and pure intentions will always count for more than expensive equipment and clever posturing. And if you are lost in academia, let Dada’s songs remind you of a few simple truths; truths easily forgotten while reading too many intellectual journals, like New Renaissance.
 
 
 
 This article was printed in New Renaissance, Vol. 12, No. 1  Posted on the web on January 10, 2007